City Girls
by Lucinders
Summary: AU: Cristina and Meredith are in the middle of Iowa when their car breaks down. Coming to their rescue is a farmer in his pick up truck. Mainly Owen and Cristina. Some Derek and Meredith. GA characters make appearances.
1. Chapter 1 Breakdown

**AU: Cristina and Meredith are in the middle of Iowa when their car breaks down. Coming to their rescue is a farmer in his pick up truck. Mainly Owen and Cristina. Some Derek and Meredith. GA characters make appearances.**

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><p>"Good grief, Meredith," Cristina said. "This cannot be happening."<p>

"I think it is," Meredith said. "We are lost."

"Ugh. First you drag me off in the middle of nowhere to attend some sorority sister's wedding in Iowa. And now we're lost. I told you to take the car with the GPS but no, you wanted to save money and rely on our map-reading skills. And now we're lost on a road among the cornfields. Just great," Cristina complained. "Why are you so cheap that you make us take the rattiest compact car on the lot with no GPS?"

"Oh, please, Cristina. It is not like either of us is rolling in money. We're maximizing our limited resources," Meredith said.

"Why didn't you bring a guy with you to this wedding, instead of dragging me?" Cristina carped. She gritted her teeth.

"It's not like if I have a boyfriend that I can bring to the wedding. You were the next best thing," Meredith said. "If I can't rely on my best friend for support, I will have nobody."

They stopped. "Just let me get my bearings, I will figure out where we are," Meredith said. Cristina came out of the car and stretched her legs.

"There is no one around for miles," Cristina yelled. "I can scream at the top of my lungs and no one will hear me, except for you and the crows."

"Okay, okay, I think I got it," Meredith said. "We were supposed to turn off that road about 10 miles back. Get in the car, Yang, and let's get out of here. We need to get back on the highway."

Cristina eagerly climbed into the passenger seat. Meredith turned the ignition key. The car hummed and then died.

"What the hell, Meredith?" Cristina said. "Try that again."

Meredith turned the key again. This time, there was not a sound from the engine.

"I can't believe it. I knew this car was the pits. Let me check my cell phone and let us call for help. I am going to give that car rental place a piece of my mind," Cristina said. "That guy really looked so smarmy. We should have gone with one of the big car rental companies, not that dinky car rental place."

"Well, he was the cheapest," Meredith said, defending her choice.

"Yes, we got exactly what we paid for," Cristina said. She stared at her phone. "Wouldn't you know it? There is no reception out here. We are in the boondocks. No cell reception. Have you seen any cell towers? Just miles and miles of cornfields. So what are we going to do?"

"Well, I guess we will just have to wait until someone comes along," Meredith said.

"We haven't seen another car in the 15 minutes that we have been here. What are the odds of another car coming along?" Cristina said.

"Well, we have no choice," Meredith said.

"You know what this reminds me of? Ever watch those movies on Syfy channel where the two young girls' car breaks down and they're usually picked up by the sheriff of some dinky two-bit town, who kills them in some sacrificial ritual? Or the townsfolk are all weird and it turns out that they are vampires? Or they are all 250 years old and are drinking from some fountain of youth which is keeping them young?" Cristina said.

"You have an active imagination, Cristina. That is not going to happen to us. Some kind person is going to stop and help us," Meredith said. "I am being optimistic."

"You know, Meredith, we are a living, breathing cliché," Cristina said. "Let's just wait like sitting ducks for the axe murderer to come out of the cornfields to kill us."

They waited there for another 20 minutes, mostly in silence, except for the moments when Cristina let out a few expletives.

"Does that make you feel any better?" Meredith asked. "Hey, look, there is a pick-up truck. You go and flag him down."

"Alright," Cristina said, and waved her hands in the air. "I hope I am not flagging down the axe murderer."

The truck slowed and parked behind their car. A tall, strapping, blonde man, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, came out of the truck.

"Good evening, ladies," he said. "Are you having a spot of trouble here?" He eyed the girls, both pretty, one dark-haired and the other blonde. He had to help them because they were easy targets for the wrong kind of people.

"Thank God you stopped," Meredith said. "We're lost and our car stalled."

"Let me take a look," he said, as Meredith popped the hood open. After a couple of minutes of poking around, he had to admit defeat. "It looks like it is electrical. That is beyond my area of expertise." Cristina silently scoffed.

"So what are we going to do?" Meredith asked. "Is there a town nearby?"

"Yes," he said. "But the mechanic is already closed. This is a small town. I can take you girls to my farmhouse and you're welcome to stay the night and we'll let the tow truck come out here to get the vehicle.

Cristina and Meredith looked at each other. It wasn't like they had any choice. They nodded.

"Well, my house is not far from here because you're actually in the middle of my farm," he said.

"All these cornfields are yours?" Cristina was amazed.

"Yup, inherited it from my dad. All 200 acres," the man said. "Well, take what you need from the car and we will be heading to my house."

Cristina and Meredith took out their suitcases and handbags out of the vehicle and climbed into his truck. Cristina took the front passenger seat, while Meredith sat in the rear seat. They soon got on their way.

"By the way, the name is Owen Hunt," he said, turning and smiling at the both of them. He gave the brunette a wink.

"I am Meredith Grey," the blonde said.

"I am Cristina Yang," the dark-haired girl said.

"So where are you two from? Certainly not from around here?" he said.

"No, we are from California," Meredith said. "We were going to a wedding for one of my sorority sisters. We just made a wrong turn."

"California, that is a far cry from Iowa," he said, chuckling.

He suddenly turned up a long driveway and headed to a very large, two-storey house with a wraparound porch.

"Wow, oh wow. I never expected something so gorgeous out here," Cristina said. Suddenly realizing what she said, "Oh, I am sorry. I just didn't expect anything like this out here."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Most people don't. My mom could not live without her luxuries. She was a city girl and she married a corn farmer, so he did his best to provide her with everything she had in the city and sometimes, even better," he said. "My mom is home and she would be pleased I brought you girls here. We don't get much visitors out here."

He parked the vehicle and took out their suitcases from the tray of the truck. "Well, let's go in and meet my mom."

He opened the door and ushered them into the foyer. The place was no ordinary farmhouse. It had the look of feel of what they would imagine of a large contemporary house in the suburbs.

"Mom! Mom! We have visitors," he called out. A small, white-haired woman suddenly emerged, wearing an apron. She had the same blue eyes as her son.

"Their car broke down on the road and it is too late to get Henry to go out there, so I brought them here for the night," Owen said. "This is Cristina and that is Meredith."

"Welcome, girls. I am Susannah Hunt," she said. "So happy to meet you. I just made dinner and as usual, I made too much, so you girls are welcome to dine with us."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hunt," Cristina said. "Your home is lovely."

"Thank you, Cristina," Susannah said. "Owen, show them to their bedrooms and then they can join us for supper."

"Sure, Mom," he said, as he led them upstairs.

"Cristina, you can have the blue room," he said, as he carried in her suitcase. "There are fresh towels in the linen cupboard, if you want to freshen up."

"Thank you, the bedroom is gorgeous," she said, giving him a huge smile. He smiled back at her. "Dinner will be served in half an hour. Gives you enough time to take a bath and change your clothes."

He left and escorted Meredith to the green room.

Cristina lay back on the bed. It felt so good after being in that cramped car for hours. She dug into her suitcase and pulled out a dress and fresh underwear. She grabbed a towel and went immediately into the shower. The warm water felt amazing on her body, which was sore from sitting too long in that cramped space.

She toweled herself and put on her dove grey dress. She was ready to go down to the kitchen. When she got there, Meredith was already at the kitchen table.

"Hello, Cristina," Susannah said. "Just have a seat. Just pour the girls some apple juice, Owen." Owen did his mom's bidding.

As they all sat down to eat, Cristina was amazed at the spread before them. There was home-made bread, smeared with garlic butter, roasted chicken, corn on the cob, asparagus and a rice pilaf. It turned out that Mrs. Hunt was an amazing cook. Cristina and Meredith ate like they had been starving for weeks.

"Oh, it is good to see girls with good appetites," Mrs. Hunt says. "So nice to have visitors. Usually, it is just Owen and me. His dad passed three years ago and he was a loud, boisterous fellow. Owen and me – we're quieter folk."

Meredith raised her head from her plate. "That was so, so delicious, Mrs. Hunt."

Cristina nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Hunt, oh I wish you could cook for us all of the time. Meredith and I are not so good in the kitchen."

Mrs. Hunt blushed, "Aw, you girls are just making an old lady happy. I have apple pie for dessert. Do you have room?"

"I will make room," Cristina said. Everyone laughed.

After dinner, the girls retired to their rooms. Cristina changed into her pajamas and lay on her bed. She tried to sleep but it wasn't easy. She had clearly eaten too much and it made her uncomfortable.

After an hour of tossing and turning, she decided to go sit out on the porch and watch the stars. She put on her slippers and headed downstairs. She leaned against the railing and stared out at the star-filled skies.

"Wow," she said.

"Yeah, it's pretty, isn't it?" Owen said.

She turned around and saw him sitting on a porch swing. At his feet was a golden retriever.

"Yeah, you hardly ever see skies like this in LA. Too much smog," she said.

"On the nights, I sit out here and watch the skies. It is so glorious and reminds me why I love to live out here," he said. "Come sit next to me."

She went across and sat next to him. They sat quietly and stared at the skies. The dog got up and rested his head on Cristina's lap. She patted him on his head.

"Bruno likes you," Owen said.

"I am a dog person. They can recognize who are dog people. Haven't had a dog in a while because I like big dogs and they only allow these teeny-weeny dogs in our apartment," she said.

"So do you like it in southern California?" he asked.

"Well, the weather is good, the beaches are great and lots of outdoor living," she said.

"I couldn't live there," he said. "I like the changes in the season. Fall and spring are my favorite seasons. Sometimes, the snow is a bit much but nothing beats snow on Christmas day. You don't get that in southern California."

"Only if we go to The Grove and they give us fake snow," she said, laughing.

"So would a girl like you be able to live in a place like this?" he asked.

"Well, the night skies are beautiful and it is peaceful. No sounds of sirens, honking horns and angry people shouting at you to get out of the way," she said. "I have never lived in a place like this. Always been a city girl. The truth is I don't know. But for now, this is pretty great."

She turned and smiled at him. They sat together in companionable silence.

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><p><strong>AN Give me your thoughts. **


	2. Chapter 2 Huntsville

Cristina rubbed her eyes. Morning had come too soon for the tired 25-year-old. She had stayed up way past midnight, chatting with Owen. She found him to be insightful, funny, worldly and sexy. She realized she had totally misjudged him, thinking that he was just a country boy, who hadn't been outside of Iowa.

She found out that he had gone to school at Yale for his undergrad degree and Columbia for his MBA. He had stayed in New York for a while but when his dad got ill three years ago, he came back home to help his mom run the farm, while his dad was in bed. When his dad died, the farm became his and he decided to stay full-time. She had asked if he had any regrets, he said not really because he always knew as their only son, it was his legacy to inherit the farm. He was a really interesting guy, she thought.

She rolled out of bed and hit the bathroom to take a shower and brush her teeth. She was paying special attention to what she wore and how she looked. "What are you doing, Cristina?" she chided herself. "You're going back to LA in two days. Why are you making yourself all pretty for this guy?"

Rationally, she knew that was the truth but she was going to get pretty, anyway. After carefully choosing a pair of skinny jeans and a pretty cotton top, she was ready. She opened the door to see Meredith, who was hustling down the stairs.

"What do you think she will cook for breakfast this morning?" Meredith said. "I was dreaming about breakfast all last night. The woman is an amazing cook."

"Yeah, me too," Cristina said, absentmindedly.

"Why are you looking so prettied up this morning?" Meredith asked.

"No reason. Just wanted to look nice, I guess," Cristina said, smiling.

"Hmmm. Did you do all this for our corn farmer?" Meredith said, suspiciously. "You know we'll be going back to LA after the wedding."

Cristina sighed. "Yes, I know that, Meredith. You don't have to remind me."

They walked down the stairs and went into the kitchen. They were both surprised that it was not Mrs. Hunt behind the stove but Owen. Mrs. Hunt was sitting at the table, sipping a large mug of coffee and having her breakfast.

"Good morning, ladies," he said. "I am making omelets, this morning. Made to order. Just tell me what type you want and I will whip that up for you."

"This is so great," Meredith said. "It's just like being in a hotel but with nicer people."

Everyone laughed. "So ladies, what will be your orders?" Owen asked, waving a spatula in the air.

Meredith answered, "I have always been partial to a Denver omelet."

Cristina thought for a minute before she replied, "I think I will have a Spanish omelet."

"Coming right up," Owen said. As he began cooking away, Mrs. Hunt made the remark that she was glad that she taught her boy to cook. "I was training my boy to become a fine husband. A woman loves when a man can cook for her. Now only if he would bring home a girl and he can finally give me some grandchildren."

"Mom!" Owen protested.

"Oh, shush up," Mrs. Hunt said. "It's time we hear the sound of little feet running through this big house. It has been a long time since you and your sister, Charlotte, were running around here and making mischief. Can't you give an old lady some grandchildren?"

Meredith smirked at Cristina.

"Mom, you can ask Charlotte the next time she visits," Owen said.

"Charlotte is a photojournalist. She is always on the move. Never in the same place for too long. She goes where the action is. She is not in a stable situation like you are. Besides, she's younger than you and she still has time. You're already 33," Mrs. Hunt said. Owen threw his hands up in the air.

"Ah, well, as usual, falling on deaf ears," Mrs. Hunt shook her head and sipped her coffee.

"Oh, by the way, ladies, I called Henry Burton, our local mechanic and he has already towed your car to his shop in town. After breakfast, I will take you two into town," Owen told the girls.

"What's the name of the town?" Cristina asked. Both Owen and his mom exchanged looks.

"It's called Huntsville, dear," Mrs. Hunt said. "My late husband's grandfather was the one who founded the town. The Hunt family had owned all of the land around here and they sold it off to other families to come settle out here."

"Oh, so your family has some serious history in this place," Meredith said.

"Yes, we do. My two children are the last of the Hunts around here. That's why I want some grandchildren," Mrs. Hunt said. "I almost thought that he would have married that Teddy Altman girl he dated in high school. But he broke it off with her when he went to Yale. I think she's still carrying a torch for him."

"MOM! They do not want to hear about my high school dating exploits," Owen said, as he brought the two omelets to the table. "Enjoy, ladies."

Meredith and Cristina both dug into their omelets and took their first bites. "Good Lord," Cristina said. "You're almost as good as your mother."

Owen's face broke out into a huge grin. "Thank you. I know I will never be as good as my mother because she is the master in the kitchen. But she is the one who taught me."

Soon, every last bit of omelet was eaten. Cristina leaned back in her chair. "If I ate like this all of the time, I would weigh 250 pounds."

"Are you all ready to head into town, now?" Owen said. "My truck is out front."

Meredith noted that Owen opened the front passenger door for Cristina to ensure that she was sitting up front with him. "Humph!" she thought. "What am I, chopped liver?" She climbed into the back seat and strapped herself in.

As they got on their way to Huntsville, Owen remarked, "Your cell phones should work, when we get to town, so if you want to call anyone."

"Great," Cristina said. "I think we want to call that no-good car rental place, who gave us that piece of junk."

"Yup," Meredith agreed.

By the time they got into Huntsville, they were pleasantly surprised at how picturesque the small town was. The main street was lined by flowering plants on either side and the buildings reflected architecture of a time past.

"It's so pretty," Cristina said.

"Yeah, it is," Owen said. "I remember my sister and me running through these streets, when we were kids. My parents used to come into town to get supplies and we used to go tearing from one end of the town to the next. Ah, here we go, this is Henry's auto shop."

He called out, "Henry!" An attractive brown-haired man slid out from under a car. "Hey there, Owen!" the man said.

"Henry Burton, this is Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey. They're the ones from the car I asked you to tow," Owen said.

"Good morning," Cristina and Meredith said, almost in unison.

"Good day, ladies. I already took a look at your rental here. It seems that it is an electrical problem. The thing is I am an auto mechanic and not an auto electrician. There is a guy in the other town, who can fix this but he won't be able to come till tomorrow," Henry said. He was suddenly distracted by the appearance of a tall, blonde woman.

"Henry, are you done rotating my tires?" the woman asked.

"All done, Teddy," Henry said, with a beaming smile. His face had lit up when he saw the woman.

"Owen, good morning. Are you going to come across to the diner for some coffee?" the woman asked.

"Uh…I am assisting these two young ladies with their car," Owen said.

The blonde gave Cristina and Meredith an intense head-to-toe inspection. "Not from around here, are you? Owen, you should bring them across to the diner to experience the kind of hospitality Huntsville folks are famous for."

The blonde went to her car, got in and drove away. "She sure is something," Henry said, admiringly.

"This car situation is just getting worse and worse," Meredith said. "I am going to call the rental place and ask them what are they going to do about the situation." She stepped away to make her call. After a few minutes of animated conversation, she came back to report that the car rental place did not have any cars left and that they would come and pick up their car in Huntsville. "My only consolation is that they gave me a full refund of my rental payment. The thing is how are we going to get to that wedding tomorrow."

"I can take you if you like," Owen volunteered.

"Hmm, that's an idea. I guess I can call Izzie and ask if I can bring an extra guest," Meredith said, ready to make another call.

Before she could do so, they were interrupted by a sheriff's car stopping in front of Henry's shop.

"Hunt, Burton, who are these young ladies?" the sheriff stepped out of his vehicle. He had abundant, dark, wavy hair and bright blue eyes.

"Derek, their car broke down outside of town and I am just assisting them," Owen said. "Cristina Yang, Meredith Grey, meet Sheriff Derek Shepherd."

"Where are you girls from?" the sheriff said, taking out a notebook and checking out some notes he had written earlier.

"We're from California," Meredith offered, taking in the good looks of the sheriff. This town obviously had more than its fair share of good-looking people. She unconsciously fixed her hair. She wished she had dressed up a little more like Cristina had that morning.

"Hmmm," said the sheriff. "I was wondering if you ladies would like to come to my office. I need to discuss a matter with you."

"What matter?" Cristina said, getting alarmed. She had an immediate distrust of this small town sheriff. Her active imagination was starting to kick in.

"Is there something wrong? Can I help?" Owen asked, wondering why would Shepherd need to discuss anything with the women.

"I just received a report this morning about two young ladies who are traveling the Midwest and ripping off unsuspecting people. They are described as one being blonde and the other brunette. It is said that their comely appearance makes others trust them and that is how they ingratiate themselves to the community before they rip them off and move on to their next targets," Shepherd said.

"I can assure you that it is not us," Meredith said. "We're not from even from the Midwest. We're from California."

"Hmmm," Shepherd said. "I just need you ladies to come to my office for questioning. I am going to get some artist's sketches faxed to me."

Owen turned to the girls. "It's okay. Just go with Derek. I am sure it is just a huge misunderstanding. It will be cleared up as soon as they get the sketches. I will go with you."

Meredith and Cristina got into the back of the sheriff's car, while Owen got into his truck. Cristina was scared. She didn't want to get locked up in some small town. She reached over and grabbed Meredith's hand. Meredith gave her a comforting squeeze. The sheriff's office was only two blocks down and they were there, rather quickly.

The sheriff ushered the two young women into his office. It was what to be expected of a small town with the office and a jail cell near to each other. There was a female deputy sheriff at another desk taking a call.

"Ladies, have a seat," he said. "We got this report, this morning, of these two female con artists that are ripping off people in small towns like us. Probably think we are just a bunch of hicks out here."

He turned to the young female deputy, "Deputy Kepner, have we received the artist's sketches as yet from the sheriff at Millbrook?"

"No, Sheriff Shepherd," the redheaded deputy said. "Still waiting."

"I can assure you that we are not the criminals in question," Cristina said. "I am pretty sure that the brunette one is not Asian."

Meredith jabbed Cristina in the ribs. "Wha-at?" Cristina yelped.

"Well, ladies, it's a pity we have not received those sketches as yet. I will have to keep you ladies in the jail cell for safe-keeping," Shepherd said.

"Me in a jail cell. That is atrocious!" Cristina said.

"I have no other choice. If you do turn out to be the perpetrators of the crime, I can't have you running around town. How would it look that I let two criminals on the loose? I am sure you lovely ladies would find it easy to persuade some gentleman to help you escape. Look at Hunt, he already has a soft spot for the brunette here," Shepherd said.

"Ahem," Owen said. "Everything is going to be okay. I will get my lawyer, Miranda Bailey. She will get to the bottom of this." He hurriedly left the office.

"Ladies, after you," Shepherd said. The two young women reluctantly went into the jail cell.

The door of the cell clanged shut.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. They do help me to write.**


	3. Chapter 3 Getting out of jail

Cristina sat down dejectedly on the cot in the cell. She sighed and then suddenly started singing, "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen; Nobody knows my sorrow; Nobody knows the trouble I've seen; Glory, Hallelujah!"

Meredith turned around, "Cristina, why are you singing that?"

"They always sing that in those old movies when people are locked up in jail. All I need now is a metal cup to run across the jail bars and then I would be totally set for jail life," Cristina said, mournfully.

"We are going to get out of here soon enough, as soon as Sheriff Shepherd gets that fax from that other sheriff," Meredith said, confidently.

"Meredith, you never know about these small towns. We could end up in the Big House for 20 years and I will become some large muscular woman's wife and sex slave," Cristina said.

"Cristina, that is not going to happen," Meredith said.

"Well, if that is not going to happen, then we are going to end up being sold into prostitution to help finance that sheriff's upkeep of his hair. He needs a lot of products to keep that hair in that state. That doesn't come cheap so he finds unsuspecting young women to lock up and then sell them into prostitution," Cristina whispered, so the sheriff and his deputy did not hear them.

"I think his hair is gorgeous and he is pretty cute," Meredith whispered back, admiring the sheriff's well-groomed coif.

"Meredith, don't tell me you like this guy. He locked us up in jail. What are you thinking?" Cristina said in a disgusted tone.

"Well, the same thing you're thinking, obviously. We're going to be leaving the day after the wedding and you are making goo-goo eyes with that farmer," Meredith said. "I wonder if the sheriff is married. Hmm, looks like there is no ring."

"Well, at least the farmer gave us room and board and is actually trying to help us. That sheriff has locked us up. So, tell me, Meredith, who seems to be the better deal here?" Cristina said, defending herself.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden re-appearance of Owen, who was accompanied by a very short woman with a bob haircut.

"Good grief," Meredith said. "That little woman is his lawyer? We will be here, forever."

"Good morning, Sheriff Shepherd," the woman said. "I hear you have locked up two young ladies, without charging them with anything. What about their constitutional rights?"

"Yeah, you tell them, little short lawyer person," Cristina said from the cell. The small woman looked around and gave Cristina a death glare that made her feel like shriveling up.

"Miranda Bailey, good morning," Shepherd said. "Right now, Miranda, they are now persons of interest. I can hold them for a period of 48 hours. You know that."

Bailey sighed. "So what are you doing about getting those sketches from the sheriff at Millbrook?"

Shepherd turned to his deputy. "Kepner, can you call Millbrook again?"

Kepner was about to call, when the fax machine rang. She put down the receiver. "That should be them, now." She walked across to the fax machine and picked up the message. She took a brief look at the sketches before handing them over to the sheriff.

The first sketch was of the brunette suspect. Owen, Bailey and Shepherd all looked at it the same time.

"A-ha!" Owen said, excitedly. "You can let Cristina go. That is definitely not her. The brunette con artist is Caucasian.'

"I knew it," Cristina said, jumping up and down. "I knew the brunette was not Asian."

They then took a look at the blonde suspect's sketch. Again, they realized that it was not Meredith.

"Well, Sheriff Shepherd," Bailey said. "You have no choice but to let them go."

"I had no choice here, folks," Shepherd said, as he walked to the jail cell with the keys in his hand.

The two girls walked out of the cell, grateful to be free. "At least I know I won't become Big Momma's sex slave," Cristina said, gleefully.

She couldn't get out of there fast enough and ran to the front door. She was a little too eager to get out of there because she tripped and went crashing to the ground. Owen rushed forward to pick her up.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she said, a little embarrassed.

"You're not okay," he said, as he picked her up. "Your forearm is bleeding. Quick, let's go to Ole Doc Webber and let him see about it." He guided her to his truck and put her in the passenger seat.

"Meredith," he called. "I will be right back for you, as soon as I get Cristina all fixed up. Thanks, Miranda for all of your help." He quickly jumped in his truck and went screeching down the street.

"Clearly, I am chopped liver," she said, as she watched the lawyer make her departure, too. She went back to the sheriff's house and took a seat in his waiting room. She decided to call her sorority sister, Izzie, to ask if she could bring another guest to the wedding, since Owen had volunteered to take them to the ceremony. She dialed her number.

"Hey, Izzie," she said to her friend. "It's me, Meredith. Sorry we couldn't make it to the bachelorette party last night. We got some major car trouble and right now, we are in Huntsville."

"That's okay, girl," Izzie said. "But you are going to make it to the wedding, right?"

"Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Meredith said. "Since we have no form of transportation, right now, one of the locals volunteered to take Cristina and me to the wedding. Is that okay with you?"

"That's okay. We catered for a few extras. What's his name? I will have to write it down for the guest list," Izzie said.

"His name is Owen Hunt," Meredith said. "He's a corn farmer from Huntsville."

"Owen Hunt? He is already on the guest list from my fiancé's side of the guest list. He's from Huntsville, you say. Well, my fiancé is from Huntsville, so I guess that is how he was invited," Izzie said. "See, it all worked out fine. I guess I will see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Iz. Thanks," Meredith said, as she hung up.

"Hmm, it seems that Owen was already invited to the wedding," Meredith said, aloud to no one in particular.

"Well, the wedding you're going to is probably the Karev-Stevens wedding. Alex Karev is Mayor Larry Jennings' stepson. The wedding ceremony will be held in that church in Brewster. That's where the bride is from. The reception will be held here in Huntsville at the Town Hall. They got a huge reception hall there and since Jennings is the mayor, they got it for free," Shepherd said.

"Small world, isn't it?" Kepner said. "Such a coincidence you're going to the same wedding."

"So are you going to the wedding?" Meredith asked, hopefully.

"Yup," Shepherd said, giving her a gleaming smile.

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><p>Cristina and Owen made quick time in arriving at Dr. Webber's office. He ran to the passenger side and opened the door for her. Cristina stepped out, gingerly holding her arm. They went into the office.<p>

There was a red-headed young woman and an older brown-haired woman at the receptionists' desk.

"Hello, Owen," the older woman said. "What can we help you with?"

"Cristina, she fell down outside the sheriff's office and got a huge cut on her arm. She needs to be fixed up," Owen said, anxiously.

"Let me see, young lady," the older woman said.

"Thank you, Patricia," Owen said.

"Just doing my job," Patricia said. "That is a nasty cut, Cristina. You will need about three stitches. I will get Dr. Webber."

The young woman interrupted, "What about Dr. O'Malley? He has to get to know the townsfolk if he is going to take over for Dr. Webber in a month's time."

"Owen, this is Olivia Harper, she will be taking over for me when Dr. Webber and I retire at the end of the month," Patricia said. "Dr. O'Malley – George O'Malley will be our new doctor. Let's just ask Owen who he would like his young lady to see."

"Dr. Webber, please," Owen said. "He has been my doctor since I was a little boy."

Patricia gave Olivia a superior smirk. She led Cristina into the doctor's office. A tall, older, bald gentleman was in there.

"Young Hunt, how are you doing?" the man said.

"Okay, Dr. Webber. I am not the patient. My friend, Cristina fell down, and she cut her forearm on a nail," Owen said.

"Cristina, you're not from around here, are you? I would have remembered if a pretty girl like you would have come to my office, before," the doctor said, taking a look at the cut.

"No, I am from California. We are here for a wedding," Cristina said.

"Ah, well. You will need about three stitches. Are you up to date on your tetanus shots?" Dr. Webber asked.

"I don't know," Cristina said, ruefully. She hated needles.

"Well, just to be sure, we will give you a tetanus shot. Don't want a nasty, old nail causing some infection," Dr. Webber said. He cleaned the wound and applied some local anesthesia before he started to do his stitches.

Cristina was quite a trooper for the stitches since the area was numbed but when it came to the tetanus shot, she cringed. She grabbed Owen's hand and squeezed it, when she got the shot. Owen's face broke out into a huge grin, when she grabbed his hand.

"Alright, that wasn't so bad," Dr. Webber said, soothingly.

"Thank you, Dr. Webber. So I hear you're moving on soon. Going down to Florida to play golf?" Owen asked.

"Ah, well, you know they are replacing me with a young whippersnapper, George O'Malley. It wasn't my choice but the mayor insisted that we needed new blood in the clinic. Patricia and I are leaving at the same time. O'Malley brought his own nurse, Olivia. I am sure you met her outside," Dr. Webber said.

"Well, I will miss you, Dr. Webber," Owen said. "You're the only doctor I have ever known since I was a little boy."

"Well, thank you, Owen. You tell your momma hi and can you ask her to bake me one of her lovely blueberry pies. I haven't had one of those in a while," Dr. Webber said, shaking Owen's hand.

"Will do," Owen said, as he guided Cristina out of the doctor's office. There was a young dark-haired man speaking to the red-headed nurse. Owen assumed that was O'Malley, the new doctor hired to replace Ole Doc Webber.

They drove back to the sheriff's office, where an impatient Meredith was pacing outside. She climbed into the back seat of the truck.

"Are you alright?" Meredith asked.

"Yeah, got some stitches, a tetanus shot and some antibiotics," Cristina said.

"Owen," Meredith said. "I called my friend, Izzie, about you coming to the wedding and she told me that you were already invited."

"Oh," Owen said. "I guess it must be the Karev-Stevens wedding you were talking about. Sheer coincidence."

"Who is Karev?" Cristina asked.

"Alex Karev. That's the guy Izzie is marrying. Apparently, he is from Huntsville and his step-dad is the mayor, Larry Jennings," Meredith explained.

"Well, then, it looks like we're all going to a big, happy wedding, tomorrow," Owen said, as he drove out of town back to the farm.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. I really appreciate reading them. Next chapter is The Wedding.**


	4. Chapter 4 The wedding

Cristina took a final look at herself before she stepped out of her bedroom. She was wearing a sapphire blue strapless dress. Her hair was up except for a few loose tendrils to soften the hairstyle. She looked presentable, she felt. She paired the dress with navy blue Manolo Blahnik heels.

She left the bedroom and went downstairs. Meredith, Owen and Mrs. Hunt were already downstairs and waiting on her. She just could not believe that she was the one, who took the longest to get ready. But she figured it was worth it when she saw the look on Owen's face, when he first caught sight of her.

His face broke out in a huge smile. "You look beautiful," he said, happy that he was escorting this lovely girl as his date. Technically, she wasn't his date, since he was taking his mom, Meredith and Cristina to the wedding but he figured by the end of the evening, she was going to be his date, if he had anything to do with it.

Meredith was dressed in blush pink, while Mrs. Hunt was in yellow, while Owen was wearing a dark suit with a blue tie. Even though it was not planned, his tie matched her dress. He happily went forward to escort her down the last few steps. When they stood next to each other, Mrs. Hunt remarked that they looked like they were going to prom, together. They both smiled, a little sheepishly.

"Good grief," Meredith thought. "I am going to have a hard time, pulling her away from this place and that guy." At that point, she thought about the sheriff and wondered what he was wearing.

They all headed out of the house to a different vehicle, this time a Lexus SUV. Cristina and Meredith both sat in the back seat, while Mrs. Hunt took the front passenger seat. Owen looked back at Cristina, apologetically. She smiled, telling him it was okay with her eyes. She knew that she had to literally take a back seat to the lady of the house.

It was a short 10-mile drive to Brewster, where the wedding ceremony was taking place. They took their seats in the church. Owen sat in between Cristina and his mom, while Meredith sat on the other side of Cristina.

Meredith and Cristina recognized some of the people they had already met. The two doctors were there, along with their nurses. Then there was Teddy, Owen's high school girlfriend who ran the diner, as well as Henry, the auto mechanic. The lawyer, Miranda Bailey was having a chat with a handsome young man in a white tuxedo they had not met before. They assumed he had to be the groom, Alex. Meredith was only looking out for one person in particular. She spotted that luxurious mane of hair nearer the front of the church. He was sitting next to his red-headed deputy Kepner. She wondered if the sheriff and his deputy were a couple and she fervently hoped that they were not.

They barely had time to settle down, when the violins started playing "Here Comes the Bride." The blonde bride, accompanied by her father, was dressed in a strapless ivory dress with a long train and ornate veil. She was tall and lovely.

Meredith cooed, "Look at Izzie. She looks so gorgeous."

Even though Cristina did not know Izzie, she had to agree that she made a beautiful bride. Alex's face lit up, as he saw his pretty bride make her way down the aisle, on the arm of her father.

The wedding ceremony was a standard one, except for the fact that both the bride and groom wrote their own vows.

"Would you write your own vows?" Meredith whispered to Cristina. "I think that is so much pressure. You don't want it to sound maudlin and sappy."

"I think that's the whole point," Cristina whispered back. "It is maudlin and sappy because you're so in love with this person that you don't care how stupid you sound. I think I will write my own, when my time comes because there is no freaking way am I going to include 'obey' in my vows."

Owen chuckled, as he listened to their quiet conversation. Mrs. Hunt gave the girls an admonishing look, which shut them up immediately.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful and when the bride and groom made their way down the aisle, everyone clapped, enthusiastically. The reception was in Huntsville, so all of the guests piled into their cars to head down to the Town Hall.

When they arrived at the reception room in the Town Hall, Owen found out, to his dismay, that he and his mother were seated at a different table from Meredith and Cristina. Owen's table was closer to the front of the room, while Meredith and Cristina's table was closer to the back. They all went to their respective tables.

As they settled down at the table, Meredith remarked, "Look at your farmer. He keeps looking back here, like if he is missing something that is located at this table."

"Ah, well, what can I say? The man cannot resist me," Cristina said, laughing.

"Well, I can do you a favor. I can exchange seats with him, so he can be here with you and I can go to that table and sit with his mother," Meredith said, as if she was making a huge sacrifice.

"Oh, come on, Meredith, you think I don't know that you're doing this for your own selfish purposes," Cristina said.

"Whatever do you mean, Cristina?" Meredith said, widening her eyes as if she had been accused of something.

"I see the sheriff sitting at that table," Cristina said. "You want to be closer to him. You want to strike up a conversation."

"Well, you can't diss a girl for trying," Meredith said. "I just can't get over that hair."

"Oh, go ahead," Cristina said. "Don't know if Owen would be willing to change seats, since they obviously have a better table than us. But you can always try."

"I am pretty sure he would want to change seats with me," Meredith said, picking up her clutch and making a beeline for the front table.

Cristina watched as Meredith bent over and whispered into Owen's ear. Owen's face lit up, as he nodded and smiled. He then spoke to his mother, before giving up his seat to Meredith. He then made his way to the back table where Cristina was seated.

"Hey there," he said, as he took the seat next to her.

"You didn't have to do that," she said. "You had a better table, closer to all of the action. You're obviously one of the favored guests in this wedding reception. That's why you got the good table."

"I would prefer to sit back here with you than be closer to the action, any day," he said, as he took her hand into his. His eyes twinkled, as he gently squeezed her hand. She smiled back at him.

Their conversation was interrupted by the emcee, who said that the bride and groom had arrived. "Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome Mr and Mrs. Alex Karev." Everyone got up and clapped the bride and groom, as they took their seats at the head table, next to their parents, best man and maid of honor.

"This is the trickiest part of the reception," Cristina said. "Unless you're really funny, this can be really awful and embarrassing for the bride and groom."

Owen agreed. He had been a best man twice before and he knew what it was like to bomb and also to do well. He figured the next time he was going to be in the wedding party and was forced to make some stupid speech, he was going to be the groom.

The father of the bride, the best man, the maid of honor and the groom all made it through their speeches without stumbling too badly, though there were some groans at some of the jokes. Inwardly, everyone cheered when it was announced that dinner was going to be served.

Cristina caught up with Meredith at the buffet line, while Owen and Shepherd chatted. "How are you making out with the sheriff?"

"How are you making out with the farmer?" Meredith countered.

"Oh, alright, I will go first. He has already held my hand," Cristina said. "What about you?"

"Well, we've just been talking. You and the farmer already had a head start on us. At least, I found out that he and the deputy are not a couple," Meredith said.

As they got their plates filled, the two would-be couples headed back to their respective tables, chatting and eating and getting to know each other better. Much laughter was heard from the two couples.

After the bride and groom had their first dance, Owen couldn't wait to take to the dance floor with Cristina as another slow song came on. He took her in her arms and held her close as they danced. From the corner of her eye, Cristina could also see Meredith and Derek dancing. So, Meredith was making progress with the sheriff.

"I like this song," Cristina said. " 'If You're Not The One' by Daniel Bedingfield. It is one of my favorites."

"Me, too," he said. "I think it captures how you feel when you fall in love."

She rested her head on his chest. It felt so warm and comforting in his arms. She was sad when the song ended and it went into a fast, peppy song. Though they continued to dance, they were secretly hoping for the next slow song to come on. And that was how it went for the entire night.

Coming closer to the end of the night, during one of their slow dances, she looked up at him and he looked down at her with the realization that he really, really wanted to kiss her. He bent his head and claimed her lips with his own. The kiss deepened as she responded to him. He knew that people in this small town were going to talk that Owen Hunt was kissing a stranger in the middle of the dance floor. But he didn't care. This moment was magic to him.

When they broke apart, they looked into each other's eyes and kissed again. Their kisses were interrupted by the sound of a man, talking very loudly. The man seemed to be inebriated. The groom was trying to restrain him but the man was giving him a lot of fight.

"Jeez, why does Mayor Jennings behave like this, when he is drunk?" Owen sighed, loudly.

"That's the mayor? That's the groom's step-dad? Oh, yes, he was up at the head table. Unfortunately, I was sitting so far back I didn't make him out clearly," Cristina said.

"Still making cracks about your seating arrangements?" Owen laughed.

"It's okay. The bride and groom don't know who I am, so I really didn't expect to get a good table but Meredith went to school with Izzie and I would have thought she would have got a better table than that," Cristina said.

They watched as the Mayor suddenly fell to the ground and started foaming at the mouth. His wife screamed.

"Doctor O' Malley! Dr. Webber!" Alex called out. "Please help."

Both doctors rushed forward to help. They got no pulse, so they worked in tandem to revive the fallen Mayor. Olivia brought the portable AED from O' Malley's car. They tried it again but it was to no avail. He could not be brought back. Alex was comforting his mother, who was inconsolable. Izzie was also crying.

"Was the Mayor drunk?" Shepherd asked.

"No," Alex said. "He only had one drink and that was during the toast."

"Hmmm," the sheriff said. "We cannot rule out foul play, then, unless the coroner can say if his death was by natural causes."

"Foul play!" screamed Mrs. Jennings. "Who would want to hurt Larry?"

"Well, he was the Mayor and he could have enemies," Shepherd said. "Unless the coroner rules it out, we would have to assume that it could be foul play and everyone in this room is a suspect."

"What?" Izzie screamed. "My wedding is ruined. My father in law dies at my wedding."

Cristina looked around, the only people left at the wedding were about 20 people from Huntsville. The Brewster people, including the bride's parents and family, had already left.

"Miss Yang, Miss Grey, I will ask you not to leave Huntsville until we clear this up," the sheriff said.

"We're stuck here? We have tickets to fly home tomorrow," Cristina was aghast.

"Don't worry, you two can continue to stay at our house," Mrs. Hunt said.

"What about our jobs?" Meredith said to Cristina. "We were only given a certain amount of time off."

"Ladies, I will try and clear this up as soon as possible," Shepherd said. "Kepner, I need you to get statements from everyone still left in this room. Doctors, I hope you can secure the body at the undertakers, until the coroner from Millbrook comes in the morning."

Cristina and Meredith looked at each other. It was going to be a long night.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thank you very much. I do appreciate them.**


	5. Chapter 5 Under suspicion

Sheriff Shepherd looked over the list of people who were still at the wedding. If there had been foul play, one of these could be the murderer.

(1) Mrs Gloria Jennings, wife of the deceased.

(2) Alex and Izzie Karev, the bride and groom. Alex is deceased's step-son.

(3) Reed Adamson, the Mayor's secretary.

(4) Susannah Hunt and her son, Owen, who run Hunt's Farms.

(5) Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey, out of town visitors for the wedding.

(6) Teddy Altman, proprietor of Lucky's Diner and caterer for the dessert at the wedding.

(7) Henry Burton, auto mechanic.

(8) Harper Avery and his grandson, Jackson, proprietors of the Mercantile Supply store.

(9) Dr. Richard Webber and his nurse, Patricia.

(10) Dr. George O' Malley and his nurse, Olivia.

(11) Miranda Bailey, attorney.

(12) Mark Sloan, proprietor of Huntsville Gas Station.

(13) Callie Torres, high school principal

Of course, there was also himself and Deputy Kepner still present at the wedding but he was certain that neither of them was a suspect.

From his interviews, he found that many of the Huntsville residents had deep-seated resentment against the Mayor but were those reasons enough to kill Jennings, if foul play had indeed taken place at the wedding.

He went through his notes. Harper Avery had been at odds with the Mayor about his plan to bring a SuperCenter into town, which would sharply cut into Avery's mercantile store's business. With the mayor gone, the plans for the SuperCenter died with him.

Then there was Reed Adamson, the Mayor's secretary. There had been rumors that Reed had been having a torrid affair with the Mayor and that he was planning to break it off with her. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Shepherd thought.

Keeping in the angry woman vein, there was also the Mayor's wife, Gloria. She had been a divorced woman, who had married the mayor. Given her former experience with her ex-husband, she probably would not put up with her second husband's philandering ways and could also have offed him. Then, there was her son, Alex, who probably could not stand the way the mayor was treating his mother. He too had a motive.

Then, there was Dr. Webber and his nurse, Patricia. They were unceremoniously being removed by the mayor, from the clinic, after years of serving the community. Maybe, they too had grouses. Dr. O' Malley and his nurse, Olivia, were only here for a short while, and they were actually benefiting from the ouster of Webber and his nurse, so they probably were not viable suspects.

Neither were the out of town visitors, Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey. They didn't even know who the mayor was, unless they were hired assassins, which he doubted. Besides, he did have a thing for the blonde, as did Hunt for the brunette. Keeping them in town longer was just an added bonus for both of them.

Speaking of Hunt, he and his mother were fighting an increase in property taxes that was being instituted by the mayor. As the largest property owner in Huntsville, their property tax bill would have skyrocketed. They, too, had reason to resent the mayor.

The lawyer, Miranda Bailey, had a long and bitter history with mayor, often clashing at Town Council meetings, while she represented the interests of her clients. Still, he wondered if that was enough reason to murder the man.

The high school principal, Callie Torres, had been at odds with the mayor, over budget cuts at the school. The cuts had resulted in a loss of the arts and music program, some special education classes and several teachers. But surely, she wouldn't kill the man for losing some classes and teachers, Shepherd thought.

Mark Sloan, proprietor of the only gas station in Huntsville, had long been prevented from expanding his business by the mayor. His expansion plans for his gas station had not been approved by the mayor, which he said, stymied the growth of his business. With Jennings' death, he could probably get his expansion plans approved. Was that enough to kill the mayor?

Then, there was Henry Burton, the auto mechanic. The mayor had declared that his auto shop was an eyesore in the town and threatened to have him removed to the outskirts of town, which would seriously put a dent into his business. Henry was such a mild-mannered man; it was difficult to even think of him as a murderer.

Teddy Altman, the owner of the diner, was rumored to have been one of the mayor's sexual conquests. She had taken over her mother's diner and catering business when she was 22. It was thought she had secured a catering contract for the town council because she had given sexual favors to the mayor, a situation that went on for several years. This continued until he married Gloria Karev. Teddy had not taken kindly to being replaced in the mayor's bed but he tried to appease her by allowing her to cater a few town-sponsored functions, which did not pay as well as her previous contract. Did she still bear a grudge against the mayor?

Shepherd knew that all of this speculation would be for naught if the autopsy proved that Mayor Jennings had died of natural causes. He had already contacted the Millbrook coroner's office and Dr. Preston Burke would be in town by 9 a.m. the next morning to conduct the autopsy.

Shepherd was still reading through his notes, when he was interrupted by Hunt.

"Shepherd, can we leave now? I would like to take my mother and the girls home. They are getting tired," Owen said. He looked around for Cristina and noticed that Avery kid chatting with her.

"Yes, I think I am through here," Shepherd said. "You can take them home. Tell Meredith I will call her in the morning."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Owen said, absentmindedly, as he watched the Avery boy hand Cristina a business card. The boy gave her a dazzling smile. She smiled back and nodded. Jackson walked away and left with the reception hall with his grandpa.

Owen went to Cristina. "What was that all about with Jackson Avery?" he asked. He was wondering whether Avery had hit on her.

"Oh, he was telling me that he and his grandpa owned the big mercantile store in town and that I should come and visit and see what it is like," she said, as she put the business card into her purse.

"Was that all?" he asked. The Avery kid was so good-looking that many a girl's head had been dazzled by his beautiful green eyes. The boy had his own personal groupie following among the high school girls, who would just go to the cafe at the store, to just stare at him. He didn't want Cristina to be one of them, especially since he wanted to be the one for her.

"Yup, it won't hurt to see the place, given that I am stuck here. Might pass the time," she said.

"I will take you tomorrow," he said. If she was going to the store, he might as well be around to observe if Avery was going to try anything.

"Okay, thanks," she said. "Can we leave now? My feet are hurting me."

"Yeah, we can go. Let's get Meredith and my mom," he said, taking her hand into his and intertwining their fingers.

When they got to the SUV, Mrs. Hunt told Cristina to sit in the front with Owen. She was not blind. She could see her son was into this girl. Maybe this was the girl that would bring the grandchildren she so desired. If so, she was going to do everything in her power to make it happen. Owen thanked his mother with his eyes. She twinkled back at him.

When they got to the house, everyone went to their rooms to change out of their clothes, take a shower and get ready for bed. Cristina was already changed in her pajamas, when she heard a soft knock on her door. What did Meredith want, she wondered, because she was ready to go to bed. She reluctantly rolled off the bed and opened her bedroom door.

Standing outside of her room was Owen. He said quietly, "Would you like to come to my room?" He glanced around as he said it, apparently on the lookout for his mother. While his mother was aware of his attraction for the girl, she was not really one for hanky-panky going on under her roof, even though Owen was a grown man and certainly no virgin.

Cristina thought about it for about five seconds before she nodded. He put his finger to her lips to indicate that she should be quiet. That kind of thrilled her, since it seemed like it was something forbidden. She tip-toed behind him, as she followed him to his room. He opened the door, let her in and softly closed it behind him.

She took a look around. The room was twice the size of hers and was quite masculine in feel. It looked like the kind of room that a man like him would have. It was decorated in charcoal grey and burgundy with light accents.

"Interesting," she said.

"What do you mean by that? Interesting good or interesting bad?" he asked, wondering if he was being scrutinized.

"Interesting good. It reflects who you are. Very masculine," she said. "So why did you bring me here?"

"Why do you think?" he asked, laughing.

"Whatever do you mean," she batted her eyelashes, grinning. He walked quickly to her and bent down to kiss her. "Just wanted to continue what we were doing on the dance floor," he said, as his lips met her own. She literally melted in his arms. She was weak, as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her across to his bed and laid her on the bed.

They started making out, furiously; their tongues were entwined around each other's. Owen knew he was getting extremely aroused, as he could feel the stiffening of his cock. She could feel his undeniable hardness against her. She was as aroused as he was, if she could judge by how moist she felt between her legs.

He pulled away from her. "I don't want to stop but I will if you tell me to," he said, staring into her eyes. He was asking for her permission to continue.

"I want you, too," she said. With that, he dragged off his clothes and slipped off her own. As she lay naked before him, he uttered, "God, you're beautiful," before he slipped down to taste her. Her body jerked in response to his tongue and lips feasting on her. He certainly knew how to use that tongue of his. Waves of ecstasy engulfed her body, as he reached up with his hand to touch her face. She drew his fingers into her mouth and lightly bit and sucked at them. She pulled him up to kiss him, tasting herself on his lips.

"I want you, now," she said.

"Me, too," he whispered. "Are you on birth control?"

She nodded and that was the cue he needed before he plunged himself into her with one swift action.

"God!" she screamed, as she felt him push himself deep inside of her.

"Shhh! Remember there are other people in the house," he said, laughing.

"Sorry, I will make every effort to come quietly, when it's time," she whispered back, giggling.

She appreciated a ferocity in her sexual partners that some of her previous lovers had not understood. From the cues that she gave him, he definitely knew that she liked it hard and fast. As he pounded into her, she wrapped her legs around him and dug into his back with each thrust. When she came, it was like the most amazing release she had ever felt and she made sure to moan quietly even though she wanted to scream. She came twice before he did. When he finally climaxed, it was like total bliss for him. He hadn't had sex in a while because dating in a small town was hard, especially if there was no one he wanted to date.

As they lay back into the bed, they both were breathing heavily. "Oh, God, that was good!" she said.

"I am glad you appreciated it," he said. "I rather enjoyed that myself, immensely."

She snickered, "Our little mutual admiration society." He laughed. "I wonder if my mom heard anything," he said. "I do think that the springs in my mattress are pretty good and didn't squeak too much."

"This is so weird, having sex when your mom is in her bedroom, just a couple of doors away. Kinda reminds me of when you're a teenager and you're trying to sneak your boyfriend into your bedroom, without your parents knowing," she said.

"So you did that when you were a teenager? Huh," he said. He realized that he didn't want to think of her with any other lovers.

"No, of course not. I was a good girl," she countered, with a smile.

"I don't want you to be a good girl, right now," he said, as he caressed her breast.

"Let me show how bad I can be," she said, as she went down and took his cock into her mouth, teasing the tip with her tongue. She could feel him hardening again, as she pulled the tip in and out of her mouth.

"You're very good at being bad," he said. "And I like it."

"Thank you," she said, as she went down on him, again.

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><p>It was early in the morning, around 4.30 a.m. that Cristina sneaked back into her room. She promptly fell asleep and finally got up around 6.30 a.m. She took a quick shower, dressed and went down for breakfast at around 7 a.m. Everyone else was already there at the breakfast table.<p>

"There you are, sleepy head," Meredith said. Cristina took the seat, next to Meredith, in an effort not to be too close to Owen. She could not look at him, directly because she felt that it would give it away where she had spent the night. Meredith looked at Owen and Cristina. Yesterday, they couldn't keep their hands off each other with all that kissing on the dance floor and today, they couldn't look at each other and had these sheepish grins on their faces.

The realization dawned on Meredith. Cristina had dirty sex with Owen Hunt. She was shocked at their audacity. Having sex while his mother was in the house. "Way to go, Cristina," Meredith thought.

Mrs. Hunt looked at her son. She always knew when he was feeling guilty of something. He never could hide it, since he was a little boy. He also seemed unable to look at the girl that he was obviously crazy about. She knew instantly what had transpired and thought how sneaky he was. He had obviously spent the night with the girl in his room. This girl was definitely the one who was going to finally give her grandchildren.

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><p><strong>AN: Please review. I like reading them. Thanks for your comments.**


	6. Chapter 6 A job offer

Dr. Preston Burke parked his coroner's van next to the sheriff's office. He hated when he had to leave his office in Millbrook to deal with the problems of a smaller town. Unfortunately, he was the only coroner around, so the towns of Millbrook, Brewster and Huntsville all fell under his purview. Still, he had to admit that his trips to Huntsville were very infrequent.

He went into the office and noted the presence of the young red-headed deputy. He had met her once before. What was her name again, he wondered, going through his mental rolodex. Kepner, that was it, he finally remembered.

"Deputy Kepner, good to see you again. I am here to do the autopsy on Mayor Jennings," Burke said.

"Dr. Burke, it has been a very long time, not since that out of town visitor died at the inn," Kepner said. Burke nodded.

"Where is Shepherd?" Burke asked. "I thought he would have been here."

"He is out investigating a theft. Mrs. Bokhee said that someone stole her lawnmower," Kepner informed him.

"Hmm. So you will take me to the undertaker's place, I assume," Burke said.

"Yes, we can walk it. It is just down the street," Kepner said. "You can leave your vehicle parked outside our office. The undertaker's place is opposite the mercantile store and there won't be much parking there, if people are shopping."

"Okay, then. Shall we?" Burke said. As they arrived at the undertakers, he noticed a vehicle pull up in front of the mercantile store across the street, two girls, along with a tall blonde man emerged from the truck. One of the girls was blonde while the other was brunette with the prettiest raven curls he had ever seen. They didn't look like they were from around here. He could tell from the way they dressed that they were big city girls, since he himself originally came from Houston before settling down in a small town, to be closer to his wife's family.

Cristina, Meredith and Owen had taken up Jackson's offer to visit the mercantile. Owen had been there, many times before and he was just there to observe Jackson's actions around Cristina. They soon saw the handsome young man, helping a young woman choose the best drill for her needs. The woman seemed to be more interested in staring at him, than learning the attributes of the drills. Eventually, she chose the most expensive one and he sent her off to the cashier, with a brilliant smile.

"Cristina," he called out. "Sorry to keep you waiting but was just trying to wrap up that sale."

"Good day, Jackson. I am sure you know Owen Hunt and this is my friend, Meredith," Cristina. The two men nodded at each other while Jackson shook Meredith's hand. "You pretty girls brighten our town," he said, smiling widely. Owen wanted to smack the smile off Jackson's face.

So they were given a grand tour of the entire store. It was an impressive operation for such a small town like this. It covered housewares, hardware, appliances, electronics, groceries, hunting equipment, camping equipment, vehicle accessories and even, clothing.

When they reached the clothing department, Jackson said, "This is the one area where my grandpa and I are at a loss. My grandma used to handle this but she died last year, and since then, we haven't been able to update the inventory in this department."

"So sorry to hear about your grandma," Cristina said, reaching out and touching Jackson's hand. He gave her a brief smile. Owen's thoughts were less charitable. "Good grief, was he using his grandma's death to gain sympathy from Cristina?" he thought. "Cristina, stop falling for this."

"I mean, Grandpa and I did the best we could with the Men and Boys area but the Women and Girls section completely baffled us. I think this is one area which we could use someone to take over all of the purchasing," he said, looking at Cristina.

Cristina finally caught on to what he was saying. "Are you offering me a job?" she asked, a little bit incredulous.

"Yes, you're young and you're from LA and you would know about all of the latest fashion trends. And you dress really nicely. Didn't you tell me last night that you worked as a buyer in a boutique? And we're looking at expanding to include perfumes, make-up and jewelry," Jackson said, enthusiastically. "No offense to my grandma but she was kinda old and not too up-to-date with trends."

Owen had a mix of conflicting emotions. First of all, he chided himself that he didn't even know that Cristina was a buyer in a boutique. Their bodies had already become acquainted in the most intimate way and he didn't even know that about her. Secondly, if she took this job, she would stay in Huntsville and be with him. He had been dreading the day she would leave him because he was starting to become seriously attached to her. But then again, she would be working closely with that Avery kid, whose intentions towards her he was really not sure about.

Cristina, too, didn't quite know how to feel. Other than her job, she really didn't have that much in LA. Her parents had moved to Florida, after her dad retired. The lease had just expired on her and Meredith's apartment and they had just put their clothes and personal belongings at their friend Neeta's apartment, until they found another place to live. She also knew she was developing strong feelings for Owen, even though she didn't really want to admit it.

Meredith looked at Cristina in disbelief. Would her best friend really consider moving to this small town and leaving LA? She knew that Cristina had already got herself involved with the farmer but Meredith thought that was just a passing fling. What if her friend was also becoming emotionally involved with him? Where would that leave Meredith? Sure, she liked the sheriff but she wasn't sure she would give up living in LA to live in Iowa.

"Thank you, Jackson," Cristina finally said. "It is very kind of you to offer me this. I will have to think about it and I will let you know."

When Owen heard her words, his heart jumped for joy. She was going to consider taking the job. That held a lot more promise that they could have a real relationship with each other.

"Thank you for considering it," Jackson said. "And this, my friends, concludes our tour of the mercantile."

"Thanks," Cristina said. "I will get back to you on the offer."

"Looking forward to it," Jackson said, as he flashed her another one of his patent brilliant smiles.

As they left the mercantile, Meredith asked, "You're not really considering this, are you?"

"Well, there really is nothing left for me in LA except for my job. My parents moved to Florida and our apartment lease expired. We really have nowhere to live. Who knows? This could be a new chapter in my life," Cristina said, as she slipped her hand into Owen's. He squeezed it, gently.

Meredith was aghast. It was clear – Cristina was falling for the farmer and had been sucked into the small town ambience.

"Let's just grab some lunch at Lucky's Diner," Owen said. They got into the truck and drove to the diner. Cristina wondered why people drove around town. Everything was within walking distance.

They got out of the truck, entered the diner and chose a table near a window, so they could look out on the street.

"Well, hello there, Owen and your out of town guests," Teddy said, coming across to their table. "I don't think you told me their names. But I do recognize that you're getting to know one of them really well, if I can judge from what happened on that dance floor, last night."

Owen went a little red, which Cristina found to be quite endearing. He started, "Well, yes, Teddy. This is Cristina Yang and her friend is Meredith Grey. You did tell me to bring them across for some good Huntsville hospitality."

"I did say that, didn't I? Pity what happened to Jennings at the wedding," she said. "I heard the coroner was in town and was doing his autopsy." Owen could swear there was a flicker of emotion on Teddy's face, when she mentioned Jennings. He had heard rumors that Teddy and Jennings were bed partners before he married Gloria Karev but he didn't want to indulge in gossip. Maybe it was true, he thought.

"Yes," Owen said. "I do hope that it is natural causes. I would hate to think that one of the townsfolk is capable of murder."

"Hard to imagine," Teddy said. "So what can I get you guys?"

Cristina piped up. She was hungry. "Can I get the soup of the day? And a club sandwich." Meredith said she would have the chicken Caesar salad.

"And, Owen, I am going to guess that you're going to take Lucky's hamburger with fries and coleslaw," Teddy said.

"Um, yes," he muttered. He felt a little uneasy that Teddy knew so much about him.

"And what would you like to drink?" Teddy asked.

"Can we have a jug of your lemonade? I am sure the girls would like it," Owen said. The two girls nodded.

"Okay, no problem," Teddy said and made her way to the kitchen to give the cooks their order.

Cristina recognized Owen's discomfort with Teddy and she decided to needle him a bit.

"So that was your high school girlfriend?" Cristina said, even she already knew the answer.

"Yes," Owen said, quietly.

"So, why did you break up?" she asked.

"I was going to Yale and being young and adventurous, I thought I was never going to come back to Huntsville. Here in Huntsville, a lot of people end up marrying their high school sweethearts. I knew I was not going to marry her because while I liked her well enough, I didn't love her. She deserved someone who loved her and it wasn't me," Owen said. "Can we stop talking about this?"

"Okay," Cristina said. Teddy returned with the jug of lemonade and three glasses with ice.

"Food will be here in a jiffy," Teddy said.

"Thank you very much. I am sure it will be delicious," Cristina said, giving the woman a huge smile. She realized that it must have been difficult for Teddy, when Owen broke up with her, all those years ago, especially in a town where people married their high school sweethearts. She had probably set her heart on marrying him and it must have been devastating. Teddy smiled back at Cristina, surprised because she realized that the younger woman probably knew about her past relationship with Owen.

Another waitress came out of the kitchen and brought out the food for the table. The three eagerly got into their food. Cristina was right – it was simple food but it all tasted really great. There were lots of other Huntsville townsfolk, who came to partake in the diner's delicious food. The diner was alive with idle chatter and laughter.

But a hush came over the room, when Sheriff Shepherd entered with the dark gentleman. Everyone except Cristina and Meredith knew that this was the coroner, who was accompanying the sheriff. The two men sat at the counter and started perusing the menu.

"Who is that?" Cristina asked, curious as to why the diner had fallen silent when the man entered.

"Dr. Preston Burke, the Millbrook coroner, here to do the autopsy on the mayor," Owen said.

As if on cue, the dark man turned around, spotted the dark-haired girl, with her two blonde companions, looking at him. He gave her an enigmatic smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thank you for your comments. I appreciate reading them.**


	7. Chapter 7 Decisions

When Owen saw Burke smiling in their direction, he instinctively took Cristina's hand into his own and squeezed it. He knew he was marking his territory with that move. He wondered why the man was looking this way with that smile because Owen could clearly see the gold wedding band on his left ring finger. The man was married, for goodness sake, why the heck was he smiling at his girl, Owen thought.

Burke noticed the blonde man's grab for the brunette's girl's hand. "Ah," he thought. "They are together." He didn't blame the blonde man for his action. In fact, Burke didn't mean anything by it. At least, he didn't think he did. He was, after all, a married man. As he once explained to his wife, Moira, the fact that he was married didn't mean that he couldn't look if he saw an attractive woman. It only mattered if he decided to go to further and touch. He hadn't yet crossed the line but that didn't mean he wouldn't be tempted in the future.

"So what does this mean? When are we going to get the results of the autopsy?" Meredith asked.

"Well, he must already have his preliminary findings but I am pretty sure that he is taking samples back with him to be tested by the forensics lab in Millbrook," Owen said.

"Good grief, how long will that take?" Meredith asked.

"I think it may be until the end of the week," Owen said. "The last time someone died suddenly in town, it took them about five days to come back with a cause of death."

"Cristina, what are we going to do? We can't be stuck here until Friday. We will lose our jobs," Meredith said. "In fact, I am going to call my boss now."

She went outside of the restaurant to make her call, as the din of the diner made it difficult to hear.

"What about you?" Owen asked. "Aren't you worried about losing your job?"

"Me? Haven't you heard? I was already offered a new job. If I get fired, I guess I will just take my new buyer job at the Mercantile," Cristina said.

"You will?" Owen said, his face breaking out into a huge smile.

"Yeah, but it would also mean that I would have to find a place to live. I can't live off your hospitality, forever," Cristina told Owen.

"You know you can stay as long as you want," he said. "Until you get your own place."

"But won't it be better if you could just sleep over at my place, instead of having to sneak me into your room at night?" she said, with a little smile. "And we could moan, groan and scream as loudly as we want. Truth be told, I can be quite loud."

He grinned at the thought and pulled her in closer for a kiss. They were still kissing when Meredith came back.

"Ahem," she said, interrupting their kiss. Cristina and Owen pulled apart from each other.

"My boss said that if I don't come back by tomorrow, I might as well kiss my job goodbye," Meredith continued.

"Aw, that sucks," Cristina said. "I better find out if I am fired, too." She got up and went out on the diner's patio to make her call.

"I know Cristina was a buyer in a boutique. What did you do back in LA?" Owen asked. "Maybe I can help you with finding another job."

"I used to work as a secretary in the legal department of a record company," Meredith said. "And I don't think you can help me because I don't think that there are any record companies here in Huntsville."

"Yes, but you understand legalese, right?" Owen said.

"Yes, what does that have to do with it?" Meredith said.

"Well, my lawyer, Miranda Bailey, is looking for an assistant. You can apply for that job. There aren't that many people in Huntsville, who can combine secretarial skills and an understanding of legal documents," Owen said.

"Really? I should check that out because it looks like I am going to be stuck here for a while and I am definitely going to be fired. A girl has got to live," Meredith said.

Cristina returned from the patio. "Well, they were certainly not happy with me. I told them it wasn't my fault but they said they couldn't keep paying me if I didn't show up to work. They're going to let my annual holiday leave run out first and if I don't show up after that, I am fired."

"At least they were a little bit more understanding than my company," Meredith said. "I better get on to checking out Ms. Bailey for her job."

They got up to leave. Owen went to the counter and paid the bill. "See ya, Teddy," he said.

"Yeah, see ya, Owen," Teddy said. She knew she would always have a soft spot for her high school boyfriend. But it was clear from his current public displays of affection, she certainly knew where he was focusing his romantic attentions.

Meanwhile at the counter, Burke and Shepherd were having their lunch. They were aware that people were staring at them. "So, when do you think we will get the final report?" Shepherd asked.

"Possibly by Friday," the coroner said. "I have gathered all of my samples and we will have definitive results."

"Oh, I have a couple of out-of-town visitors and they are anxious to go back to LA," Shepherd said.

"By any chance, are the out-of-town visitors the blonde and the brunette, who were sitting at that table with a blonde man?" Burke said.

"Yes, they do stand out from the rest of the townsfolk. Yes, the brunette is Cristina Yang and the blonde is Meredith Grey. They came here for the wedding but since they were both there at the time of death, they will have to stay in the jurisdiction until we can clear them," Shepherd said.

"Ah, I see, so my results will definitely impact them," Burke said.

"Yes, it would," Shepherd said.

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><p>Meredith stepped in to the lawyer's office. "Good afternoon," she called out, looking around for the diminutive attorney, who didn't seem to be around.<p>

"Good afternoon," a crisp voice said. "May I help you?"

Meredith looked around again; she could see no one.

"Hello, I am Meredith Grey. I was wondering whether I could apply for the job of secretary/assistant. I hear you have been looking for one. I understand legal documents because I have been working in the legal department of a record company for the past four years," Meredith said.

Suddenly, the lawyer popped from behind a desk. "Oh, heavens, you must be a godsend. My last assistant ran off to West Des Moines with some trucker and I have been under pressure ever since. I am having trouble, locating some of my files. That's why I am on the floor, going through these files. I have been looking for an assistant but it has been hard to find someone who can understand legal documents in a small town like this."

"Well, I wonder if you can tell me the application process. I would like to submit my CV. I can email it to you, if you like," Meredith said. Bailey picked up a business card from her desk and handed it over to Meredith. "My email address is on this card. Just send it to me ASAP."

"Thank you, Ms. Bailey. I will get that to you by today," Meredith said. She left the office with hope in her heart. She was more than likely going to lose her job. At least, this seemed like it could be a good possibility, especially since it looked like her best friend was going to stay, too. Plus the sheriff was a pretty nice bonus.

Cristina and Owen were waiting in the truck for her. "How did it go?" Cristina asked.

"Looks like it could be good. Gotta get back to the farm, so I can send her my resume from my laptop," Meredith said.

"Well, let's go," Cristina said.

* * *

><p>It was late evening. They had already had a sumptuous dinner prepared by Mrs. Hunt. The sheriff had come by and picked up Meredith and had taken her for a drive. Owen and Cristina were relaxing on the porch swing. She was snuggled against him and he had his arm around her.<p>

"Owen, I am going to take the job at the mercantile," she said. "I made up my mind. There really isn't anything left for me, back in LA. This might be my chance for a new beginning. I am going to call my friend, Neeta to ship my stuff here to this house. Is that okay?"

"Yes, God, yes," he said, as he kissed her lightly on the lips. "I am so happy that you're staying."

"Yeah, me too. I kinda think that it was meant to be. Everything has conspired to force me to stay here," she said. "Everything just fell into place, even though the Mayor had to die, for it to happen."

"Yes, what about Meredith?" Owen asked. "Is she going to stay?"

"I know that she really does like the sheriff but she loves LA, too. I would like her to stay because she is my best friend but if she can't, I would understand, too," Cristina said. "But I am pretty sure the sheriff is putting down a really good case to make her stay, right now."

* * *

><p>Meredith and Derek were parked near a river. "So is this where all of the teenagers come to make out?" Meredith asked.<p>

"No, we're not far from it but there is a spot a little more popular upstream," Derek said. "Sometimes, when I am bored, I go there and put my flashlight on them."

"Oh, you're mean," Meredith said.

"Have you ever made out in a sheriff's car?" he asked, as he leaned over to kiss her.

"I don't think I have," Meredith said, as she willingly accepted his kisses.

* * *

><p>Owen walked Cristina to her room. "Wait till after 10 p.m. and come to my room," he said. "My mom goes to sleep around 10."<p>

"No clothes under my robe?" she whispered.

"Oh, that sounds yummy. No clothes would be fine with me," he whispered back, laughing.

His mother looked at them, whispering outside of Cristina's bedroom door. Did they think she was a foolish, naïve, old lady, Susannah thought. Hell, she wasn't going to object if a little hanky-panky happened under her roof. She had seen the bigger picture and that picture included lots of babies. In any case, she was still going to pretend that she didn't know because it was just more fun that way for them.

* * *

><p>Cristina woke up with a start. The light was already streaming through the window. Good Lord, she hadn't gone back to her room in time. Half of Owen's limbs were sprawled across her. She pushed him off. He groaned in response.<p>

"I have to get out of your room before your mom catches me," she said.

"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"It's already after 7," she said, struggling to get out of his bed.

"That late? Woman, you tired me out last night," he said, grabbing her and pulling her back towards him.

"Do you want a morning wake-up call?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, since it's already late. Why not?" he said. "I am already standing at attention, here."

As they made love once more, Owen's mother stood outside of his door. She was going to knock on his door, since he usually did not wake up this late. She stopped herself when she heard the low moaning and the giggling emanating from his room, so she shook her head and walked away. She had a smile that was as wide as the sun.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thank you for your comments.**


	8. Chapter 8 A place to live

Owen dropped off Cristina at the Mercantile after breakfast. He also dropped off Meredith at Miranda Bailey's office. Cristina was going to speak to Jackson about the job. She saw his grandfather at the cash register and asked for Jackson.

"Good morning, Mr. Avery. I am Cristina Yang. I am here to speak to Jackson," Cristina said.

"Ah, Miss Yang," Mr. Avery said. "Jackson told me all about you. He is quite taken with you. I heard he offered you the job of buying of the entire clothing department. I do hope you would take it. That would certainly be a burden off my back. I am totally at home, purchasing weed wackers, drills and paint brushes but choosing the latest clothing is beyond me."

"Well, that's what I came here to do. I am going to take the job," Cristina said.

"That's wonderful, young lady. Let me just page Jackson. He sees about all of the administrative stuff for the store," Mr. Avery said. "He will tell you about the salary, benefits and vacation."

Mr. Avery went on the intercom and decided to embarrass his grandson at the same time. "Would Jackson Avery please make his way to the cash register? There is a beautiful young lady here to see you."

In a matter of three minutes, a breathless Jackson came around the corner. "Grandpa," he scolded. "People are laughing at me in the stockroom."

"Well, I didn't want to keep the young lady waiting and I knew it would make you come running," Mr. Avery. "Miss Yang has decided to take our job offer. Why don't you take her over to the office and do the needful?"

Jackson turned to Cristina with a brilliant smile. "Come on, Cristina. I am so happy that you decided to take the job." He led her to their office, which was surprisingly neat. There were two desks and computers – one for himself and one for his grandfather.

"Have a seat, Cristina," he said, pointing to a chair near one desk. He sat at the desk and turned on his computer.

She handed him a folder. "That has my resume in there. For your files."

He opened it. "Ah, I see you went to UCLA. I wanted to go there but Grandma didn't want me to go out of state. I ended up at the University of Iowa."

"Yup," she said. "Go Bruins!"

"No, go Hawkeyes!" he countered, laughing. "I just need to fill out some information here for your official application."

"I see you're 25," he said. "I am 24, by the way."

"Ah, so I am an older woman. I will try not to lead you astray," she said with a smile.

"You can lead me astray, anytime," Jackson muttered to himself.

"What did you just say?" Cristina asked. "Nothing important," Jackson answered.

"And the Hunts' home is your current address and contact? Is that right?" he said, typing away.

"Well, only temporarily, I hope to get a place soon. That's one of the reasons I am grateful for this job so I can afford a place. I cannot be living on the Hunts' hospitality forever," she said.

"You're looking for a place? I have a place for you to rent," Jackson said. "My grandma had this cottage, just outside of town. She used to go there to paint and sometimes, she used to stay there when she wanted some solitude, while she was painting. Well, since she died, it has been unoccupied."

"Ooh, that sounds great. Tell me more," she said.

"It is two bedrooms. Fully furnished. Would be good to have someone living there to take care of the place," he said.

"I'll take it," she said. "Meredith and I can live there, if she decides to stay with me."

"Okay, then. Would $600 rent sound okay to you?" he asked.

"$600! That is just awesome. You can't get anything great in LA for that price," she said.

"Great. I will show you the place after we're finished with this paperwork. I've gotten most of the information off your cv. I need to ask you a couple of things for health insurance. Your height and weight?" he asked.

"I am five foot five. I weigh 110 pounds," she said. Jackson took a cursory glance at her body, thinking that sounded about right.

"Any chronic diseases or history of chronic diseases in your family?" he asked.

"No," she said. "I am healthy and so are my parents."

"You will still have to do a medical exam. I will schedule that for you at Dr Webber's later this week," he said.

"Alright," she said. "No problem."

"Good," he said. "Okay, here is your letter, informing you of your salary, benefits and vacation. See if that is okay with you."

She perused the letter, taking into note the salary. It was actually a little under par what she was getting in LA but she expected that, given that it was a small town and the cost of living was lower in Huntsville. Benefits included health insurance, sick days, travel allowance and employee discounts on all merchandise. She was allowed 10 days of vacation for the first year, which would increase with years of service.

It sounded good to her, she thought. "It seems fine to me," she said.

"Well, okay, then, just sign here and from next Monday, you will be our newest employee at the Mercantile," he said. "Do you want to see the cottage now?"

"Yes, please. I have already stayed four nights at the Hunts and while Mrs. Hunt is very nice, I don't want her to have to keep making meals for me," Cristina said. "I need to do that myself."

They headed out of the office. "Grandpa," Jackson said to the old man at the register. "Going to show Cristina the cottage. She is interested in renting it."

"Great," Mr. Avery said. "Would be good to see the old place get some use."

They headed out to Jackson's truck and drove a little way out of town. Cristina noted the distance and realized it was totally walkable into Huntsville. She kept wondering why people even bothered to drive their cars.

"Okay, here we are," he said, stopping in front a small but pretty cottage with a porch and a flower garden to the front.

"It's pretty," Cristina said.

"Yeah, we try to keep the place up, in memory of my grandma but if we get someone to rent it, they will help to keep it up, too," he said.

He opened the front door to reveal an open floor plan with kitchen, living room and dining room. Then he showed the bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and a half bath for visitors. There was also a utility area, with a washer and dryer. The house was nicely decorated with quite a few paintings on the walls.

"Are those your grandma's works?" Cristina asked, pointing to the paintings.

"Yes, we like to keep them around. Reminds us of her. I hope you don't mind keeping them up," he said.

"No, that is fine with us. She was actually very good," Cristina said.

"We think so," Jackson said. "So do you like the place?"

"Yes, very much so," Cristina said. "I think I will be very happy here."

"Great, I brought a lease agreement in case the place was agreeable to you. Do you wish to sign now?" he said, handing over a contract.

"Yes, thank you," she said, reading the agreement, noting the low rent and even lower security deposit. She signed on the dotted line. She now had her own place in Huntsville.

They headed back to town, where they found Owen waiting outside of the mercantile. He didn't look too happy.

"Hey," she said, skipping towards him.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you and nobody could tell me where you were," he said.

"Really? My grandpa didn't tell you we went to look at my grandma's cottage so Cristina could see it," Jackson said.

"No, I didn't see him. There was someone else at the cash register," Owen said. "And no one else had any idea where you were."

"Oh," Cristina said. "Good news I have a job and a place to live."

"Alright," Owen said. "I assume you're going to live in the cottage."

"Yes," Cristina said, excitedly. "It is lovely."

"Well, Cristina, this is what I will do for you. If you can come by tomorrow, I will have a copy of the lease agreement, your work contract and the cottage keys for you, as well as you will be able to go to Dr Webber for your medical check-up. Is that okay?" Jackson said, recognizing that Hunt was still peeved.

"Yes, yes," Cristina said.

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow," Jackson said, making a quick escape back into the Mercantile.

Cristina recognized Owen's foul mood had not dissipated. Owen really did not trust that Avery kid. She took his hand and squeezed it. "Hey, I am staying. That's good news, right?" she said, as she reached up and kissed him on the lips.

"Yes," he said, responding with an even deeper kiss. "Let's go pick up Meredith and see if she has good news."

They found Meredith outside of Bailey's office. She had a big smile on her face.

"So, good news?" Cristina asked.

"Great news, I got the job," Meredith said, as she got in the back seat.

"And I got us a place to live," Cristina said. "Jackson has a cottage just outside of town. It is very walkable. Really cute. Two bedrooms, two and a half baths, living, dining, kitchen and a utility room. Everything we could want. It also has a lovely flower garden to the front. All we need to do is to get Neeta to ship our personal belongings to Huntsville and we're good to go."

"Stop, stop," Meredith said, spotting Sheriff Shepherd outside of his office. "I am going to tell Derek." She quickly hopped out of the car. "Don't wait for me. Derek will drop me off." Owen drove off and headed back to the farm.

She ran up to the well-coiffed sheriff. "Derek, I have the best news. I got a job. I am now Miranda Bailey's assistant."

"You got a job? That means you're staying," the sheriff said, breaking out in a huge smile. "What about your job in LA?"

"I got fired from that, this morning. Cristina is going to be fired, too. So we are both staying," Meredith said.

"Oh, so I guess Hunt must be as pleased as I am," Shepherd said.

"Well, it was the Mayor's death that forced us to stay. How is the case going?" Meredith asked.

"Well, Dr Burke will have definitive results by Friday but so far, it doesn't look good. He is definitely leaning to foul play," Derek said.

"You mean, someone in town could be a murderer?" Meredith's eyes widened.

"Yes, and I have many suspects," Derek admitted. "It's very hard to believe. I have lived my entire life in this town and I have known most of these people for years and years. It just doesn't seem possible. Well, enough of that, let's go celebrate with some lunch."

Meredith and Derek held hands as they walked to the diner.

* * *

><p>Cristina and Owen drove to the farm in relative silence. He was glad that she was staying but he didn't really want her to move out of the farm.<p>

"Why are you so quiet?" she asked.

"Just thinking that it was so nice to have you at the farm and I am going to miss you when you move out to the cottage," he said, glancing at her.

"Are you going to miss me or the easy access to sex?" she asked, giggling.

He looked hurt. "Why would you say something like that? This relationship is not just about sex, Cristina. I am not in it just for the sex, even though I really enjoy making love to you."

"Oh," she said.

"I thought we were starting to build a relationship, here," he said. "Please don't tell me that this is just about sex for you."

"Um, no. I like you; I really, really like you. I wasn't sure where you stood on it," she said. "After all, we've really only known each other for four days."

"Well, I like you, too. Nope, it is more than that. I think I am starting to go crazy for you," he said. "Do you understand that? Four days or not, when it's right, it's right."

"Yeah, I think you're pretty great, too," she said. She reached over and put her hand on his leg. He took it and kissed it.

"So we're together, right?" he said. He wanted to establish that, in the light of Avery's obvious flirting.

"Yeah, we are together," she said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thanks for your comments. I enjoy reading them.**


	9. Chapter 9 Moving out

Cristina again woke up in Owen's bed. His naked body was sprawled all over her. She hadn't gotten up early to go back to her bedroom, again. No wonder she couldn't get up in time; he had her trapped underneath him.

Today was a busy day. She was going to get her medical examination at Dr. Webber`s clinic. Neeta had their stuff shipped overnight so it was going to be arriving today. It cost a lot of money but it was finally good to have more clothes to wear than what she currently had with her. Plus Owen said he would help her and Meredith move into the cottage, later that evening.

She shook him awake. "Get off me, Owen," she said. It would be the last time she would be sleeping in his bed because she was moving out of the house. He groaned as he rolled off her.

"Woman, why do you wake me up, when I am having a delicious dream about you?" he said.

"I gave you enough deliciousness last night. You have to dream about it, too?" she said, with a grin.

"Well, you're going to leave me today, so I have to start dreaming about it, since you won't be sleeping in my bed, anymore," he said, groaning. "How am I going to sleep again without this beautiful body wrapped around mine?"

"We have to move out. We have already stayed in your house for five nights, already. I am just going to live in town," she said. "And you can stay over at the cottage, if you want so it won't be any different."

"Why don't we get married so we don't have to move you out?" he said. They looked at each other and both burst out laughing.

"That is the best joke I've heard for the week," she said. Even though he was laughing, Owen was actually half-serious about getting married. He already knew that he was falling in love with the girl. They did get into being physical with each other really quickly but he chalked that up the fact that they thought she would have been leaving a couple of days ago. But thankfully for him, she was still there and was going to be around for quite a while.

She got up from the bed and pulled on her robe before quietly opening his door. She took a quick peek out before she stepped out and softly closed the door.

Owen sunk back into his pillows. He was going to miss her tiny body next to him, as they had spent the last three nights making love. It wasn't just sex to him. It was making love. He never thought he could fall this hard and this fast for someone. With all his previous girlfriends, it had taken him awhile to actually say that he loved them. In fact, he wasn't sure anymore that he loved any of his girlfriends. He had been fond of them but it wasn't the depth of feeling that he had for this girl. She infiltrated every sense that he had and inflamed all of his passions. He got drunk with lust, every time he was around her. But it wasn't just lust, it was backed by true feeling and emotion.

"I am going to miss you not being here all of the time, Cristina," he said, aloud. But he knew that they needed to really get to know each other better, other than just physically. He wanted to know everything about her – her favorite color, food, what she was like as a kid, that kind of stuff. He was beyond ecstatic that she had decided to stay so he could find out all of these things about her. He hugged his pillow tightly as the scent of her shampoo still lingered.

There was a soft knock on his door. "Owen," his mother said. "Are you going to get up? Lots of things to do today with the girls moving out."

"Yeah, Mom. I am getting up," he said.

* * *

><p>They headed into town, after breakfast. They went first to the Mercantile, where they met Jackson, who handed her copies of her lease agreement, her contract, medical forms for the doctor and the keys for the cottage. She, in turn, handed him a check for the security deposit and the first month's rent. "Thank you," they both said to each other. Jackson noted the constant presence of Owen, whenever Cristina was around. He hoped that it wouldn't be the case, when she started working at the Mercantile.<p>

Owen and Cristina got into the vehicle and headed to Dr. Webber's office. They had left Meredith at home to await the arrival of their belongings, which Neeta had sent.

They saw the young doctor O' Malley and his nurse, Olivia there, as well Dr. Webber's nurse, Patricia.

"Hello, Patricia," Owen said. "Cristina has come for a medical exam with Dr. Webber. She's taking a job at the Mercantile."

"My, my," Patricia said. "You got yourself a job here. A few days ago, you were just a visitor. And now you're becoming a resident. Is there anything that's keeping you here?" She had a twinkle in her eye.

Owen and Cristina both grinned. "I think that there are things in this town that I really, really like," Cristina answered, as Owen grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"I guess you can go in and see him, now, Miss Yang. Can I call you Cristina? We're all very informal here in Huntsville," Patricia said.

"That's fine," Cristina said.

"You can't go in this time, Owen," Patricia said. "Clothes will be coming off."

If Patricia only knew that Owen had already seen all sides of her in its pure unadorned form, Cristina thought.

"Oh, okay," Owen said, taking a seat in the waiting room.

"Honey, there is a gown on the back of the door. Just put that on and wait for the doctor in Exam Room 1," Patricia said. Cristina gave Owen a quick look back, before disappearing into the exam room.

She changed quickly into the gown and waited on the examining room table for the doctor. Dr. Webber came in with her file and placed it down on his desk.

"So you're staying in town and you got yourself a job. You do work fast," Dr. Webber said. "First things first, let me take a look at the cut from Saturday. It is healing very nicely. Are you taking your antibiotics?"

"Yes, today is the last day for them," she said.

"Okay, good. So let's get started with this exam," Dr Webber said. He measured her height, weight and blood pressure. He checked her throat and listened for her breathing. He took down information on her immunization history. He also took down her detailed family medical history for herself and her parents. He got a urine sample and also drew blood. It was when he was drawing blood that Cristina wished Owen was in with her. He could have held her hand while Dr. Webber stuck the big needle in her.

"There we go," he said. "Patricia will take a chest x-ray. Just go into the other room. She will be there waiting."

Cristina had her chest x-ray done and returned back to the exam room to change back into her street clothes. After she changed, she went into Dr. Webber's office.

"Everything looks fine, Cristina," Dr. Webber said. "I guess circumstances dictated that you stayed with us here in Huntsville."

"Well, yes. I would have never been able to predict that the mayor would have died and forced us to stay here. Because of that, Meredith, my friend and I both lost our jobs back in LA. So we made the best of it and both of us now have jobs and we have a place to live," Cristina said.

"So you're not going to stay with the Hunts anymore?" Dr. Webber asked.

"No, we've probably overstayed our welcome there. We got a cottage a little outside of town, near a brook. It belongs to the Averys," Cristina said.

"Ah, the cottage where Sheila Avery used to paint. Lovely place that," he said.

"Yes, I like it," Cristina said. "I think we are going to be very comfortable there."

They were soon headed back to the farm, where they found Meredith on the porch, surrounded by boxes.

Cristina eagerly jumped out of the truck. "It came, it came. Oh, great, new stuff to wear."

Owen looked at the boxes with a heavy sigh. It really was happening. She was going to move out of the house.

"Well, I guess I better pack these boxes in the back of my truck," he said, as he started with one of the boxes.

"We better go and pack our stuff," Cristina said. She and Meredith went up to their rooms and quickly packed the stuff into their small suitcases. They ran back down, only to find all of the boxes already in the back of the truck. Susannah was also out on the porch.

"So, I guess, girls that this is it," Susannah said.

"Yes, it is. We just loved being here," Meredith said, giving the older woman a quick hug and a kiss.

"Yes, we have and your cooking has been amazing. We really want to thank you for your hospitality and letting us stay here," Cristina said.

"It was my pleasure," Susannah said, giving Cristina a tight hug.

The girls got into the vehicle and were excited and eager to move into the cottage. It was a quick drive to the cottage. Meredith was seeing it for the first time. "Ooh, it is so pretty," Meredith said.

"I told you it was," Cristina said, jumping out of the truck to open the door. The three of them started hauling the boxes out of the truck and into the cottage.

"I guess I will just leave you to unpack," Owen said.

"Yes, thank you," Cristina said, her eyes shining. She didn't have to look that enthusiastic about it, Owen thought. She was so excited that she even forgot to give him a kiss. He left and headed back to the farm.

* * *

><p>Dinner was very quiet back at the farm with the two girls gone. Susannah noted Owen's melancholic spirit. "What's the matter, son? Missing the girl, already?" she asked.<p>

He sighed and then sighed, again. "Come on, Owen, you can't tell me that you can't sleep in your bed alone tonight," Susannah said. Owen was shocked. His mother knew that Cristina had been sleeping in his room.

Susannah noted his shocked look. "Oh, Owen, you think I wouldn't know what was going on under my own roof. I think you've fallen hard for this girl." He nodded and sighed, again.

"Since you're going to be broody all evening, just finish up your dinner and drive across there. I certainly can see where your heart is," Susannah said.

Owen smiled, as he hurriedly finished his dinner. He packed an overnight case and headed across to the cottage. He noted that there was another vehicle parked in front of the cottage. He was surprised. The girls did not have a vehicle but apparently, they already had a visitor.

He knocked on the door, which was opened by Cristina. He was so happy to see her; he was not so happy when he saw Jackson sitting at the dining room table. His smile disappeared from his face.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Than****ks for your comments.**


	10. Chapter 10 Staying over

"Hey Owen," Cristina said, giving him a huge smile. "Come on in." Jackson suddenly started feeling very uncomfortable at the sudden presence of Owen Hunt. He fidgeted a bit on his seat at the dining room table.

"Avery," Owen said, nodding and acknowledging Jackson's presence.

"Hunt," Jackson said, nodding back. They surveyed each other, silently.

Cristina looked at the two men, wondering what the heck was wrong with the two of them. She decided to break the silence.

"So Jackson decided to bring us some ice cream as a kind of a moving-in present," she said. "Wasn't that nice of him?"

"Yes," Owen said, still giving the younger man a steely gaze. "So nice of him."

"Well," Jackson said, getting up from his seat, knowing full that he was not wanted around. "I better get on my way. Grandpa is waiting for me at home."

"Awww, already?" Cristina said. Owen thought to himself, "What does she mean 'already'? The boy has got to go."

"Yes, three's a crowd," Jackson said, letting himself out. "So I will see you on Monday at 8.30 a.m. Got to get there before the store opens at 9 a.m."

"Yes. I will be there, maybe even before 8.30 a.m.," Cristina said. "I am very excited."

"Goodbye," Jackson said, as he left, giving the couple a backward glance. He closed the door, softly.

Owen waited until he heard the start of Jackson's car before asking, "What was he doing here?"

"I told you, he just wanted to bring some dessert for us," she said. "You want some? He brought us Haagen Dazs cookies and cream, dulce de leche and vanilla bean."

"No," Owen said, not willing to accept anything that the young man had brought. "I just ate and I had dessert at home."

"Okay," she said. She noted the overnight bag in his hand. "Are you planning to stay the night?"

"I was hoping I could," he said, giving her a grin. "I wanted to make tonight the first night that I stay over at your place."

"Did your mom say anything?" she asked, wondering whether Mrs. Hunt had any objections to Owen staying the night at her place.

"She was the one who suggested that I come over to your place because I seemed to be so miserable at home," he said, laughing. "My mom knows how I feel about you."

"Okay, you can put your bag in my room. Of course, I took the bigger room, seeing that I found this place," Cristina said. "It's the one on the right. By the way, Meredith is in her bedroom, talking to Derek on her phone."

He opened the door of her bedroom and was surprised to see it already decorated to reflect Cristina's personal taste. Of course, the room had been fully furnished already and Cristina just added some of her personal belongings, including pictures of her family. There was a violin case on one chair and a tennis racquet in one corner. He was learning things about this girl that he had not known before. It was ironic that he and Cristina had shared the most intimate of moments and yet, he knew very little about her. He hadn't known before that she played a musical instrument and that she played tennis. He was so glad that she was staying in Huntsville so he could learn about her as much as he could.

He came out of the bedroom and found her having a cup of ice cream. He found her licking her spoon in a slow, languid manner. He sat down next to her, mesmerized by the way her tongue flicked across the surface of the spoon.

"Are you sure you don't want any?" she asked, smiling because she noticed the way he kept watching her tongue.

"Maybe just a little," he said. She put a little of the ice cream on her tongue and offered it to him. "If that is the way you want to feed it to me," he said. "Then lots more." He accepted her tongue into his mouth. It was the sweetest of kisses in more ways than one, as the creamy goodness of the ice cream melted into his mouth. Their kiss deepened as their tongues danced together, a mixture of cool ice cream and heated passion.

As they broke apart for air, Owen said, "Let's do that again." This time, he put the ice cream on his tongue and she was the recipient of the sweet concoction.

"I am getting so turned on," he said, taking her hand to feel the bulge that was building under his jeans. "Yeah, me, too," she answered, as she kissed him again.

"Oh, please, why don't you guys go in your room," Meredith said, as she stepped out of her bedroom.

"We're going, we're going," Cristina said, as Owen picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "When are you going to get some action?"

"Well, apparently, my sheriff likes to take things nice and slow," Meredith said. "Much to my chagrin. Please try and keep the noise down. I am right next to you guys. And Cristina, I know how you like to scream."

Owen gave Meredith a grin as he closed Cristina's door. He deposited her on the bed and slowly stripped off his clothes.

"Whoohoo, you're giving me a show. Let's see a little bump and grind," she said, as he did a little dance, as he removed his clothing. She laughed, "Your dance moves are still not yet ready for Chippendales but you're more than good enough for me."

When he was totally nude, he turned to her, "Now, it is your turn." She jumped up on the bed and started removing her clothes. "No, no," he said, "You're doing it too fast. You gotta give me the tease." She slowed down and started removing each item of clothing – first her skirt, then her top, then her bra and finally, her panties. "Ah," he said, "the promised land." He brought her down to the bed, pushed apart her legs and started feasting on sex, penetrating her with both his talented tongue and his nimble fingers.

She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh, you're so good at that," he said. It was only when he felt her body shudder with pleasure did he stop. He positioned her on her side, slipped in behind her, raised her leg and entered her. He enjoyed this position because at a certain angle, he could actually see himself pounding into her over and over again, while he actively stroked her swollen clit with his thumb.

Cristina closed her eyes and just allowed the pleasure to own her. She could feel her walls tightening around his cock as she came. She let out a sharp scream as she climaxed. He came soon after, depositing all of what he had into her.

They both lay back on the bed. "Meredith was right. You do scream. I really like that," he said, looking at her. The sweat was running down both their bodies.

"Yeah, I do and for the first time in four nights, I can scream without worrying about it," she said, chuckling. "No Mama Hunt to curtail my screams."

"Do you know that my mom knew that you were sleeping in my room the past few nights?" he said. "She shocked me with that one, during dinner tonight."

"Well, at least she knows that you're a grown man, who needs female companionship, now and then," she said, caressing his chest.

"These days, it has been more now, now, now rather than then," he said. "A fact which is not lost on me. You know for the past few nights, I have been sleeping in the buff."

"Who needs clothes?" she said. "Do you want to make me scream again?"

"Yes, milady," he said, as he pulled her close to him to kiss her. They made love several more times that night.

The next morning, Owen woke up, a little bit disoriented because he was clearly waking up in a room that was not his. He looked at her small nude body curled up next to him. "Thank God you're asleep, Cristina. I want to say this but I don't think you're ready to hear this. So it is a good thing you're sleeping because I don't want to scare you away. I really think I love you." He pulled her tiny body towards him. She murmured a little. "Shh," he said. "It's still early." She settled back down, with her head against his chest.

* * *

><p>On Friday morning, there was an air of expectancy in the air in Huntsville. Everyone knew that this was the day that the coroner from Millbrook, Dr. Preston Burke, would be submitting his results. Meredith and Cristina were having breakfast at Lucky's Diner. The diner was really full, busier than what was normal for an ordinary morning. Many folks, living outside of Huntsville proper, had made it into town to hear the news.<p>

"Where is your other half?" Meredith asked. "He is always attached to you."

"He is not!" Cristina protested.

"Well, we only moved in on Wednesday and he has already been there two nights," Meredith said.

"Is that bothering you?" Cristina asked. "Do you want me to tell him to curtail his staying over?"

"No," Meredith said. "Only a wall separates your bedroom from mine and whenever he stays over and you guys are doing the dirty deed, it reminds me that I am not getting any."

"Why don't you tell the sheriff that you want a little boot-knocking?" Cristina asked. "I mean he shouldn't have you suffering like this."

"What? You want me to demand that he sleeps with me? I don't think that sheriff is going to take too kindly to that. Speaking of the sheriff, there he is, accepting an envelope from that coroner," Meredith said. Cristina and Meredith peered out the diner's window, along with all of the pairs of eyes of curious townsfolk. Everyone could clearly see the handover of the package, which had the mayor's autopsy results. The two men shook hands and the coroner drove off.

The diner was buzzing with conversation and speculation. They knew that soon, everyone would know what the results were. "Why don't you call him and ask him?" Cristina asked Meredith. "You have the inside track on the man. Come on, use it."

"I will, just give me about 10 minutes. Let him read it first," Meredith said. After five minutes, she couldn't take it any longer. She dialed Derek's number and tried to sound nonchalant. Cristina stayed quiet so she could listen to the conversation.

"Hi, Derek," she said, giggling. "I am doing fine this morning. Anything exciting happening?

"Oh, really. The results came."

There was a sudden hush in the diner when Meredith said that. It was as if the entire diner was eavesdropping.

Meredith gasped. "He was poisoned!" She not only said for the benefit of Cristina but apparently, the entire gathering at Lucky's. Her gasp was followed by a collective gasp that rippled through the place.

"Well, okay then. I will see you later," Meredith said, hanging up the phone. Just then, Owen entered the diner and joined them. He kissed Cristina lightly on the lips.

"The mayor was poisoned," Cristina said. "The results just came back in." Owen shook his head.

"That's terrible news. We have never had a murder in this town," Owen said. "You know what this means. Everyone who was present at the time of death is now a person of interest. Me, you, Meredith, my mom - all of us and everyone else who was there. This is going to be bad, extremely bad."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thank you for your comments.**


	11. Chapter 11 Clues

It was little more than a month since the sheriff had received the results of the mayor's autopsy from the Millbrook coroner. Shepherd and Deputy Kepner had interviewed and re-interviewed the guests, trying to create a timeline how everything went down that night. It was more than likely that Mayor Jennings had been poisoned through his food. He had not been drinking, having only one drink during the toast and everyone else from the head table were clearly seen drinking from the same bottle and were not affected. The bottle had been tested and proven to be clean of poisonous substances.

It had been a buffet dinner and everyone at the reception had eaten from the same dishes. He was poisoned after he got his buffet meal, which he had eaten fairly late, since he wanted to ensure that all the guests had dined before he did. And according to the coroner, if had been a fairly fast-acting poison, meaning that whoever poisoned him was there during the last hour of the party. That meant someone had to be close enough to his table to place the poison into his meal. He and his deputy had spent many hours, viewing the video footage and photographs of the wedding reception.

Shepherd was under pressure because the townsfolk were starting to doubt whether he would be able to crack the case. He did work once in Des Moines but he found the fast pace of the city was not to his liking. He was a small town boy through and through. He seriously wished people would stop believing that murder cases were solved within an hour like they were on television shows. Real life did not work like that.

No one stood out as a candidate for the main suspect. He had started eliminating people from his suspect pool. The first people he ruled out were Meredith and Cristina. Since they didn't even know who the mayor was and the photographs showed they were never near the mayor's table at any point in time. It was just as well, given that Meredith was now officially his girlfriend. They had recently slept together at his house for the first time and she was starting to spend more and more time at his place. It was just as well because Hunt was now like a fixture at the girls' cottage. Speaking of Hunt, he was also taken out from the suspect pool because the video footage showed that he, too, was nowhere near the Mayor's table all night. He was so engrossed in his new girlfriend that he was not concerned about anything else going on around him. There were lots of pictures of Hunt and Cristina smooching on the dance floor. It was like he was glued on to the girl for the entire night.

Hunt's mother too had to be eliminated since she did not get up from her table, all night, since Dr. Webber had been paying her special attention and catered to her every need. He suspected that Dr. Webber had more than a soft spot for Mrs. Hunt. It was just as well because it seemed that they were both seeking companionship. In that case, he also had to eliminate Dr. Webber from the suspect list, since he too was pre-occupied for the night. He knew a medical doctor like Webber had the means and the knowledge to poison the mayor but he had been nowhere near the mayor until he and O'Malley tried to save him. He eliminated several other people, too, because none was seen around the mayor during that last hour before the mayor's death.

Still, there were quite a number of people who were at that table during that time period. Even the mayor's family could not be eliminated. Also, someone had slipped him an anonymous note under his office door that the mayor had been juggling another woman, other than his wife and his secretary. He already knew of the affair that mayor had with his secretary, Reed Adamson and the affair with Teddy Altman that went on for years before the mayor got married. Both of these women had been seen around the mayor's table.

The sheriff did not know the identity of this third woman who had been having an affair with the mayor and maybe, she could be the key in determining who killed the mayor. He was putting out feelers to find out if anyone had any idea who this third woman could be. After all, it has been often said that poison is a woman's weapon. But that didn't preclude that it could also be a man, who did the deed.

In the meantime, the business of the town still had to go on. The town council voted Arizona Robbins as Interim Mayor before another election was scheduled to determine the new Mayor of Huntsville. Robbins was considered the safest choice since she had not even been at the wedding, since she was out of town visiting her sister in Chicago. Other members of the council had been at the wedding and were still considered persons of interest in the Mayor's murder.

* * *

><p>Cristina was now a month on the job at the Mercantile. She really liked the job. She had a fair amount of independence and was able to travel to Des Moines on a regular basis to meet with suppliers. She also did quite a bit of ordering online. She brought in all of the latest trends for the younger folk, while still catering to the classic needs of their older customers. She had established a new jewelry department and a well-stocked cosmetics department. Business was booming with Cristina in the clothingcosmetics/jewelry department. Sales had doubled already and was continuing to grow.

Jackson and his grandpa were very pleased at how much business she was bringing in to the mercantile. It also helped that they didn't have to worry about the superstore coming into the town and taking away their business. Now that the mayor was dead, that plan had gone bust.

He watched her, helping a customer in the clothing department. She didn't have to, but she often helped out in the store. He liked that about her, always willing to lend a hand. He also didn't mind because he loved to watch her – the way her curls bounced as she walked was so endearing. He also knew that she was Hunt's girlfriend, a fact that he wished was not so. Hunt made his presence known because he came everyday to meet Cristina for lunch. So, there he was again, coming to pick her up for lunch. Avery gritted his teeth when he saw the tall blonde man. Cristina finished up with her customer, who finally decided on a top and a skirt, before leaving with Owen. She waved at Jackson, as she left. Owen and Cristina walked to the diner, where they got their favorite corner table.

Teddy came over to take their order. "Good day, Owen, Cristina. How are you today? What will you be having?"

Cristina piped up, "A club sandwich and the soup of the day, Teddy. Thank you."

Owen said, "I will have the roasted chicken quarter with vegetables and mashed potatoes."

"Good," Teddy said. She had a smile on her face but Owen could see that it did not reach her eyes. She looked worried.

"What's that matter, Teddy?" Owen asked. He had known her long enough to know when something was bothering her.

"It's the mayor's murder. I have been questioned again for the third time by the sheriff," Teddy said.

"He thinks you could do this?" Owen said, with an incredulous expression.

"Well, it is no secret that the mayor and I had a long-standing relationship before he married Gloria and then I did cater the dessert," Teddy said. "Fortunately for me, I am not the only one being questioned. Reed Adamson has been through the wringer and so have Gloria Jennings and Alex Karev. Plus some other people who were at or near the head table."

She walked away with a slight slump to her shoulders, as if the weight of the world was upon her.

"Wow, she looks worried," Cristina said. "I know you have history with her. Do you think it is possible?"

"Well, my history with her was when we were both teenagers. Things may have changed since then but the Teddy I knew back in high school, it just doesn't seem possible," Owen said.

"Well, at least, we haven't been called in for re-questioning," Cristina said.

"I think that's because we have been eliminated from the suspect pool. I am sure the sheriff could see that I only had eyes for you that night," Owen said, chuckling.

"Yup, that was the night you got lucky," Cristina said. They both laughed, when they remember how he sneaked her into his room. "Do you think the sheriff is making fast enough progress on this case?" she asked.

"Well, it is only him and Kepner and this is a small town. We haven't had a murder here, if I could recall," Owen said. "I know people are impatient for some progress but they have to give them a chance."

Teddy brought them their orders and walked away. They both started on their meals. They both ate quietly as neither of them liked to bother with small talk while they were eating. As Cristina drained the last of her orange juice from her glass, she asked, "By the way, are you coming over tonight?"

Owen wiped his mouth. "I have to take a raincheck tonight. I have to catch up on some of the farm paperwork that I have been neglecting. Mom says I have to get it done. I am sorry but I will come by tomorrow."

"That's okay," she said. "Then I will go to the movies in Brewster with Meredith."

"Alright, that's fine," he said. He got up to the cash register and paid the bill. As they left, he took Cristina's hand into his and walked back to the Mercantile. He gave her a kiss and got into his truck and started his drive back to the farm.

Cristina spotted Jackson manning the cash register, while his grandfather had gone to lunch. "Hey, J," Cristina said. "When you're going on lunch?"

"As soon as Grandpa comes back," Jackson said. "I trust you had a good lunch."

"Yes, I did," she said. "By the way, have you seen that new Denzel Washington movie?"

"No, I was planning to go to Brewster to see it," Jackson said.

"Really? Meredith and I are going tonight. Interested in coming with us?" Cristina asked. The young man's beautiful green eyes lit up.

"Yeah, sure, I will come and pick you guys up," Jackson said. Around 6.30 p.m. so we can make it in time for the 7.15 show."

"Yes," Cristina said. "That will be fine."

"Hey, how were you girls going to get to Brewster? You don't have a vehicle," Jackson said.

"Well, we do now," she said, laughing as she headed back to her office.

"Oh, so I see what you did there," Jackson yelled after her. "I am the one providing the transportation. I don't mind, though, I will be out with two beautiful girls."

"Jackson, stop shouting across the store," Mr. Avery was back from lunch.

"Sorry, Grandpa. Can I leave a little early today? Taking Cristina and Meredith to the movies in Brewster," Jackson asked. "Gotta go home and take a shower."

"That's fine, Jackson. You're young, you go have a good time," Mr. Avery said. Jackson went off to lunch with a song in his heart.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Shepherd was returning to his office. He was just returning from grabbing a sandwich at the diner. Deputy Kepner had just gone to the Mercantile to grab a few household items. As he opened the door, he could not miss the note on the floor – another note that had been slipped under the door. This time, he got the latex gloves from his desk. He pulled on the gloves, picked up the note and read it. There was only one short sentence. "She knows everything."

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thank you. They help in the thinking process.**


	12. Chapter 12 Heated words

It was 11.47 p.m. when Owen finished all of the paperwork. He looked at the clock. It was way too late to be calling Cristina. She was probably asleep.

In fact, she was not. She, Jackson and Meredith were now returning from Brewster. After the movie ended around nine, the three of them decided to go and grab something to eat. He was now dropping them off at the cottage. They were all giggling.

"I have had such a good time," Cristina said. "It's good to hang out with people your own age."

"Yeah," Meredith agreed, as they got out of the car.

"So why are both of you dating older guys?" Jackson asked. "If you like hanging out with people your own age."

Meredith and Cristina looked at each other. "I guess the heart wants what the heart wants," Cristina said. "Anyway, J, why don't we do this again, sometime?"

"We can go next Tuesday. That's the day the movie tickets are discounted," Jackson said.

"Cool, it is a date for all three of us," Meredith said. The two girls waved at Jackson and went into their cottage.

"Are you going to call Owen?" Meredith asked, wondering whether she should call Derek.

"No, he is probably asleep," Cristina said. "Don't want to wake him. He is probably tired from all of that paperwork."

Meredith also changed her mind about calling Derek. After all, he was under so much pressure from the murder case. They both turned in and were quite sleepy when they woke up at 7 a.m. the next morning to go to work.

"I need coffee," Cristina said, as she set the coffeemaker to percolate.

"Yeah, me too," Meredith said. They were already dressed for work and they just needed the coffee to give them the energy to walk into town.

Half an hour later after being freshly caffeinated, they set off to work. Meredith reached the lawyer's office first. Ms. Bailey was already there. "Meredith, good you're here. I need all these files put away and I need you to take some dictation."

She groaned, inwardly because it seemed Bailey was in a mood. Several of the people who had been re-interrogated by the sheriff had contacted Bailey about representing them, in case they were arrested. People in the town were worried and they were passing on their anxiety to the sole lawyer in town.

Cristina walked two more blocks before she made it to the Mercantile. She headed straight to her office. Usually, Jackson would leave a bagel and cream cheese there for her. There, sitting on her desk, with a napkin over it, was the bagel. That boy was a godsend, she thought. She started munching happily, letting the cream cheese slide over her tongue.

Her phone rang. It was Owen.

"Hello gorgeous," she said. "How are you?"

"Fine. I finished up all that paperwork. So I can come over tonight," he said. "Give you some loving."

"I am always up for some loving from you," she said, giggling. "Will I see you at lunchtime?"

"Of course," he said. "Oh, by the way, before I forget, I will be in Des Moines next week Tuesday, meeting with buyers, so I won't be in town that day and I will probably be back late. I won't be able to see you that day."

"That's okay," she said. "See you at lunchtime." She hung up the phone. With Owen going out of town, she, Meredith and Jackson could go to the movies again. That worked out fine. She felt a little guilty that she didn't tell Owen that they were going out with Jackson. It seemed that he disliked Jackson so it was just as well that she didn't tell him.

* * *

><p>Next Tuesday morning, she was awakened by the buzzing of her cell phone. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the screen. It was Owen.<p>

"Hey, baby," he said. "Heading to Des Moines now. Just wanted to call you before I left."

"Okay," she said. He had not spent the night at her place on Monday because he needed to leave early in the morning, so he thought it would be better if he left from home.

"I guess I will see you tomorrow, then," she said.

"Yeah, I guess. I will be back late and you would probably be asleep by then. Okay, bye. Love you," he said.

"Love you too," she said, as she hung up the phone.

It was a long day at the Mercantile. She had a lot of orders arriving at the store and she had to go through it all and place them in inventory. She was frazzled by the end of the day. It was good that she, Meredith and Jackson were going out that night. She needed a break. She headed home, took a nice, warm bath and went out to the porch and awaited Jackson's arrival. Meredith was already there.

"Meredith, can I ask you a question?" Cristina asked.

"Sure," her best friend said. "You know you can ask me anything."

"Did you tell Derek that we were going to Brewster to the movies with Jackson?" Cristina asked, still feeling guilty about not telling Owen.

"Yeah, I did. I called him before I left work and told him, so he wouldn't expect me to show up at his place tonight," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I didn't tell Owen," she said. "I think he doesn't like Jackson and I think he would get upset if I told him."

"Well, it's just as well he is out of town. What he doesn't know, can't upset him," Meredith said.

"I guess. It's not like I am doing anything wrong," Cristina said. "We are just going out as a group of friends and hanging out. That is all. Nothing more."

"Yeah, nothing more," Meredith agreed. She saw a pair of headlights heading down their way. "There is Jackson."

The two girls got up from the porch and went out to the road. Cristina got into the front passenger seat, while Meredith got into the back seat.

"Are we ready, girls?" Jackson said. "Off to Brewster we go."

* * *

><p>Owen was driving back from Des Moines. It had been a very productive day with buyers and he had got full orders for the harvest. He looked at his watch. He should make it back to Huntsville by 10 p.m. That wasn't too late, he thought. He could go to Cristina's place and she should still be up and he could spend the night there.<p>

As he pulled up in front of Cristina's place, it was in darkness. That was odd, he was sure she would be up. He knocked on the door. There was no answer. Neither she nor Meredith seemed to be there. Cristina had not told him she was going anywhere that night.

He decided to give Derek a call. Maybe Meredith was over at his place. "Sheriff Shepherd," was the crisp response.

"Hey Derek, it's Owen, is Meredith at your place? I would like to speak to her," Owen said.

"No," Derek said with a surprised tone in his voice. Didn't Hunt know that Meredith and Cristina had gone to the movies with that Avery kid?

"Well, I just came back from Des Moines and I came to the cottage and no one is here," Owen said.

"Well, they're probably still out in Brewster. They went to the movies with that Avery kid," Shepherd said. "Meredith told me that on Tuesday, tickets are discounted by half at the movies so that's why they went tonight."

"Thank you," Owen said, trying to keep his voice steady. He was fuming. Why did Cristina not tell him any of this? His brain started to work overtime. Was that Avery kid making moves on Cristina? What machinations did that kid put in place to lure his girl away from him? He was seething by the time he saw the headlights coming up the road. He knew it was probably them.

Cristina saw the familiar SUV parked in front of their cottage. She sighed. It was going to be a scene, she knew. But in reality, she didn`t know why Owen disliked Avery this much. She saw him step out of his vehicle. She could see that his mouth was drawn into a thin line.

Jackson suddenly became anxious when he saw Hunt waiting for them. He knew that the man was not his biggest fan.

Cristina got out of Jackson's vehicle and came up with the cheeriest voice she could muster. "Hi Owen," she said. "I didn't know you were going to be back this early from Des Moines."

"Clearly," he said, in a cold tone. "Judging from where you're coming from." Meredith got out of the back seat and headed into the cottage. She felt the beginnings of an argument between Owen and Cristina and she felt she needed to give them some privacy, even if they were out on the road and possibly going to shout at each other.

"Well, we just got back from Brewster. We went to the movies," Cristina started, looking back at Jackson. Jackson wondered if he should drive off and leave them to their discussion.

"Yes, I heard," Owen said. "My question to you, Cristina, is why you didn't tell me you were going to Brewster to the movies? And why is it that you never mentioned that it was Avery, who was taking you?"

"I guess I better go," Jackson said, getting back into his car. "This seems to be a private conversation."

"Seriously? You're trying to get out of here?" Owen asked Avery. "Don't you think I know how you watch her everyday? Do you think I am blind?"

"Um…" Jackson said. Cristina had a confused expression. What was Owen talking about?

"Everyday, when I come to pick her up for lunch, I have watched you, watching her," Owen said. It was something Jackson could not deny. Cristina now understood why Owen disliked Jackson.

"But nothing has happened, Owen. He just took Mer and me to the movies. That's all," Cristina said.

Avery felt it was time to take his leave. He immediately got into his car, started his engine and drove off. "Yeah, run, kid, you're not wanted around here."

Cristina shook her head. She started heading towards the cottage door. "You still haven't answered my questions, Cristina."

"I think the answers are clear. I knew you would get upset if I told you that we were going to the movies with Jackson. I know that you didn't like him and you would get upset," she said. "I guess I was right about your reaction but I guess I was also wrong not to have told you.

"I am not going to say any more on the subject, Owen. Other than not telling you, I did nothing wrong. I went out with my friends and I had a good time," she said. "So you have to make up your mind. Are you going to come inside and spend the night with me or are you going to go home and sulk?" She opened the door and went inside. She headed to her bedroom, stripped off her clothes and went into the shower. The warm water soothed her heated brain.

She heard the door of the bathroom open. She looked up to see Owen. He took off his clothes and stepped inside the shower. He opened the shampoo bottle and started to lather her hair. It felt so relaxing as he massaged her head.

"If you have something to tell me, please tell me even if I am going to get upset. Maybe I overreacted but I guess that probably came from a mixture of jealousy, fear and insecurity. If you had told me, I would still have reacted but not to the extent that I did," he said. "It felt like you were hiding something from me and that is not a feeling that I want to have."

He washed off the shampoo out of her hair and massaged in the conditioner. "So you will tell me from now on. Please." She looked up at him. "Yes, Owen." As he washed off the conditioner, he lifted her hair and kissed her neck, which actually deepened to a love bite. She knew she was going to get a hickey but she didn't actually mind. She could feel the swift hardening of his member, pressing against her. She was getting quickly aroused and excited.

He turned her around and pushed her against the wall. He crushed her lips under his, as their tongues quickly found each other's. He reached down to feel whether she was ready for him and she was. This was not going to be pretty. There was going to be very little foreplay. His breathing came shallow and fast, as he pushed her legs up so he could enter her. As he thrust deep and hard into her, she wrapped her legs around him and held on tightly as their lips never came apart. He fucked her with a ferocity that was born out of the anger and the frustration he had just felt. When they both came, it was a release from the heated words and the hurt feelings.

He gently kissed her as he slowly let her down. He held her close. "Please don't ever hide anything from me, again. I can't take it," he whispered.

"Okay," she said, as she rested her head against his body and wrapped her arms around him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thank you for your comments. I do appreciate reading them because they help me want to continue.**


	13. Chapter 13 Tough decisions

Cristina was feeling terrible. It was as if this stomach flu had taken a vice grip on her and wouldn't let go. She sat at her desk at the store, gripping tightly on to the Pepto Bismol bottle. The nausea and the vomiting just would not go away.

It was now one week since the argument outside of her house. She thought it would have been awkward the next day to face Jackson at the store. She had been ready with her apology.

"Hey, Jackson," she said. "I really want to apologize for what Owen said to you last night at the house. He was out of line. Everything was my fault. I didn't tell him that we were going out with you and he got mad because he thought I was hiding something from him. So, it really had nothing to do with you."

"It's okay, Cristina. He was just jealous," Jackson said. "If you were my girlfriend and some other guy had taken her out, I would be jealous, too."

"Thanks for being so understanding," Cristina said. "Still friends?"

"Of course, we are still friends," Jackson said. "If you, Meredith and I ever go out again, just let your boyfriend know beforehand. He is rather on the muscular side."

"Yes, I will tell him," Cristina said, giving Jackson a pat on the back. Though they did talk about the argument, neither of them mentioned the fact that Owen had brought up that Jackson watched Cristina. It was like a hot potato that no one wanted to touch.

So, things at work had been relatively calm at the store, until she picked up this stomach bug. She took another swig at the Pepto Bismol bottle. There was no way that she was going to allow Owen to come over tonight. She didn't want him to see her in this state. He had only seen her in her sexy state, not this "dying and hanging over the toilet" state. That would be a total turn-off, she thought.

There was a sharp rap on her door. "Come in," she said, weakly. It was Meredith, looking all perky, a sharp contrast to Cristina's pale, sickly face.

"Oh my, you look terrible," Meredith said. "The stomach flu still hasn't left you, I see." She eyed the pink bottle in Cristina's hand.

"I guess this means that you don't want to have lunch," Meredith said.

"I seriously doubt that I can keep anything down," Cristina said. "Why aren't you having lunch with your sheriff?"

"Oh, I passed by his office and he is in a major tizzy. He got another one of those anonymous notes that have been taunting him, since the start of the investigation. So he is all up in arms about it," Meredith said.

"What did this one say?" Cristina asked.

"It said 'you know her well'. Derek said that was a terrible clue because he knows everyone well in this town, since he was born and grew up here. Anyway, he is tired of people thinking that he is incompetent since he hasn't yet solved the case as yet," Meredith said.

"Well, it has been about seven weeks since the murder, Meredith," Cristina said. "People expect progress from their elected officials."

Meredith groaned and rolled her eyes. "He is under a lot of pressure and he is no fun these days. Whenever I go over to his house, he is always looking at pictures and video of the crime scene. He only has been able to eliminate people and there is really any one person that stands out as a suspect," she said.

At that point, Jackson stuck his head in the office. "Hey, Meredith. Didn't know you were here. Cristina, I think you should take a trip to Dr. Webber's office. See if he can give you something for your stomach flu." He didn't really stay to hear Cristina's answer.

"Yeah, I think I will," Cristina said, picking up her bag to get her phone. She dialed the doctor's number. "Patricia, this is Cristina Yang. Can I see Dr. Webber? I have been feeling terrible.

"Well, okay, I will be there in 15 minutes," Cristina said, before she hung up the phone. She dialed Owen's number.

"Hey, don't bother to come get me for lunch," she said. "Yeah, I am not feeling well and I won't be able to eat anything. I am going to Dr. Webber's office to get something for this stomach flu.

"Yeah, I will let you know. Bye, babe.

"Love you, too."

She picked up her bag. "Want to walk me to the doctor's office?" she asked Meredith.

"I guess. It seems like I am not going to get any lunch at all," Meredith said, getting up from her seat.

The two friends walked from the mercantile to the doctor's office. Patricia looked up and gave them a warm smile.

"Hello, Cristina, Meredith. Dr. Webber will see you in a bit. He has a patient with him right now," Patricia said. "So have a seat."

"Okay," Cristina said, grateful to sit down because a wave of nausea had just come over her.

When the door finally opened and Dr. Webber had ushered his patient out of his exam room 1, only then did Cristina finally get up from her seat.

"Ah, Cristina," Dr. Webber said. "I hear you are not feeling well."

"No, it seems I have terrible stomach flu and all of these over-the-counter remedies don't seem to be working," she said, following Dr. Webber to his examination room.

"Why don't you go behind the screen and change into a gown?" Dr. Webber said. "I think we might have to take some blood and urine to test if there is anything more serious than a stomach bug."

"Okay," Cristina said, as she went behind the screen to change into a gown.

Two minutes later, Dr. Webber came with a syringe and a test tube. Cristina groaned. She hated needles.

"Ah, I remember that you don't like needles, young lady," he said. "Well, make a fist for me and you can look away."

Cristina felt the prick of the needle and cringed, even though her head was facing the other direction.

"Thank you, now that wasn't so bad," he said. He handed a small container. "Just go to the bathroom and give me a urine sample."

She did as she was told. She brought back the sample. Dr. Webber called Patricia, who came promptly in. He whispered to her, "Please check urine sample for you-know-what," he said quietly to his nurse. "Get back to me in a couple of minutes." Patricia nodded, knowingly.

The doctor then started a physical examination, checking her breathing, her throat, her blood pressure. Patricia returned soon enough with the results of her test. She handed a paper over to the doctor.

Dr. Webber looked at the paper and smiled. "Hmm. Congratulations, Cristina, you're pregnant."

Usually, when people heard such joyous news, they were ecstatic. The look of shock on the young woman's face was obvious. This was not news that she wanted or expected to hear.

"How could this be? I have not missed a pill," Cristina said. Dr. Webber thought back to Cristina's recent medical history. He had put her on antibiotics the first week she was here when she had got that nasty cut outside of the sheriff's office.

"Cristina, do you remember when you first came to see me for that cut and I gave you antibiotics to fight off any infection. Well, antibiotics may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills and women are advised to use back-up birth control," he said.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Cristina said, thinking about the number of times that she and Owen had sex in those first few days of the relationship.

"I am sorry if I failed to tell you this but the situation now is that you are pregnant," he said. He brought out the ultrasound machine. "Let's just see how far gone you are."

As she lay there, watching the screen, she saw the image of something that had a shape like a peanut shell. "Looks like six or seven weeks, Cristina," Dr. Webber said.

Cristina still could not believe it, even though she could see the image right in front of her.

"I am sure the Hunts will be very pleased, especially since Susannah has been clamoring for a grandchild like forever," Dr. Webber said, smiling at her.

"Um, yeah, I guess," Cristina mumbled. As she got dressed, Dr. Webber had gathered up some literature, pre-natal vitamins and anti-nausea medicine to give to her.

"Dr. Webber, what if I had wanted to explore some other options?" she asked.

"You mean like adoption or termination?" he asked, more than a little bit shocked.

"Not adoption," she said. "Termination."

"Well, there is a clinic in Millbrook. The Millbrook Women's Clinic, it's called," he said. He checked his rolodex and wrote down the name, address and phone number of the clinic.

"Well, here is the information you require. I hope you think about all of your options before you make a decision," he said. It was not his place to tell her to keep the baby but he wanted her to think it through before making any decision.

"Yes, I will, thank you," Cristina said. She picked up the literature, the pre-natal vitamins and the anti-nausea medicine and tucked the address of the clinic in her handbag.

She walked out of his exam room in a total daze. Meredith saw her face and knew, immediately, that something was wrong.

"What's the matter?" Meredith said in a worried tone. "You're not dying, are you?" Cristina did not answer right away. She waited until they were completely out of the doctor's office.

"No, I am not dying but I might as well be," she said, quietly.

"What? What do you mean?" Meredith asked, perplexed by her answer.

"I am pregnant," Cristina said. She could see the shock on Meredith's face. "I looked exactly like that when he told me."

"What are you going to do, Cristina?" Meredith asked.

"I don't know as yet," she said.

"How far are you gone?" Meredith asked. "Hunt is the father, right?"

"Yes, he is the father," Cristina said in exasperation. "You know that there has been no one else. And I am six or seven weeks."

"I have to go back to work. Miss Bailey will throw a fit if I am late back from lunch break," Meredith said. "We'll talk later at home."

"Yeah, definitely," Cristina said, as she waved her friend goodbye and headed to the mercantile. She met Jackson coming back from lunch.

"Hey, you went to see Doc Webber?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did. I am fine. Just a stomach bug," she said. "He gave me something stronger."

"Okay, that's good," Jackson said, as he headed to the stockroom.

Cristina went into her office and sat down in her chair, still in disbelief. Her phone rang. It was Owen.

"Hello, babe. How was your doctor's visit?" she heard his cheery voice say.

"It was okay. Just a stomach bug," she said. She wasn't ready to tell Owen anything as yet. She had to make up her mind about what she was going to do before she reached that stage.

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to come over tonight?" he asked, hopefully. Even though she was sick, he still wanted to spend time with her.

"Um, I think I prefer to be alone tonight. I really don't want you to see me in this awful state. I think I am going to bed early tonight and get some good rest."

"Alright," he said. "I will still call you, though."

"Okay," she agreed. "Bye."

"Bye," he said. "Love you."

He noticed she hung up before she had answered with her usual, "Love you, too."

It was late evening when Meredith came home. Jackson had let Cristina go home early since she hadn't been feeling well. Meredith found Cristina, already in her pjs, sitting on the sofa and staring straight ahead.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Meredith said, as she sat next to her friend and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Okay, I guess," Cristina answered. "It has been a rough day."

"Have you told him?" Meredith asked.

"No, not as yet," Cristina answered. "He did call me a little while ago. I told him that I still wasn't feeling well."

"Do you plan to tell him?" Meredith asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. Seriously, this is a person I met seven weeks ago. I mean we got physical, really fast and the only reason for that was because I thought we were going to leave and there was a possibility that we would never see each other again," Cristina said.

"I just can't launch this news on him. We've only known each other seven weeks. Guess what? I am pregnant," she said. "I am not even sure how I feel about him."

"What do you mean? You always say 'love you, too' whenever you hang up the phone, after you talk to him," Meredith said. "I've heard you say it numerous times."

"That's because he says it. It just seemed natural for me to say it, too," Cristina said. "Maybe he is just being polite."

Meredith scoffed. "You don't tell a person you love them, just to be polite, Cristina. You know that," Meredith said. "You love him and from the way he looks at you, I think he loves you, too."

"Yeah, well, maybe I do but suppose he doesn't want this baby. I mean it's not like we ever discussed marriage and children and all of that. It has always been about the here and now," Cristina said. "I don't want to burden him with a baby that he probably doesn't want. It's just not the right time for us."

"Well, okay, Cristina. The crucial question remains. What are you going to do?" Meredith said.

Cristina looked at her friend and answered, "The only thing I can do."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I really do appreciate reading them. Thanks for the feedback.**


	14. Chapter 14 The decision

Meredith woke up the next morning, a little groggy. She and Cristina had spent the better part of the night, discussing the situation. She could hear her best friend already on the phone in the living room. Meredith rubbed her eyes.

"Is that the best you can do for me?" she heard her friend say. Who was Cristina calling so early in the morning, Meredith wondered. She got out of bed and wandered into the living room.

"Well, okay, then," Cristina said. "If that is all I can get, then I will have to take it. Thank you." She hung up the phone and sighed.

"Who are you calling?" Meredith asked. "It's really kinda early."

"The Millbrook Women's Clinic. I was trying to get an appointment," Cristina said. "They open at 7 a.m. so I was hoping to get this done before we go into work."

"So you're really going to go through with this, without discussing it with your boyfriend," Meredith said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I am as pregnant as the length of our relationship. Can you imagine me dropping that bombshell on him? I mean, neither of us is ready for this in this stage of our relationship," Cristina said.

Meredith shook her head again in disapproval.

"Will you stop doing that? We already talked about this last night," Cristina said. "I could use some support, here."

"Okay, you are my best friend. I will support you in whatever you do," Meredith said.

"Thank you, Meredith," Cristina said. "I really need it this time."

"So what did the clinic say?" Meredith asked. "You didn't seem too happy when you hung up the phone."

"They won't be able to accommodate me until two weeks from now," Cristina responded. "They are booked up."

"Ooh, so what are you going to do? I would expect that you would want to take care of this, as soon as possible," Meredith asked.

"I am going to get Dr. Webber to call them and see if he can use his influence. They asked who recommended the clinic and I told them that Dr. Webber did. Apparently, they know who he is," Cristina said.

"Well, good luck. How is your nausea this morning?" Meredith asked.

"I am doing okay," she said. "The anti-nausea medicine that Dr. Webber gave me is working."

"At least, that is one good thing. Let's just get ready for work," Meredith said.

"Yeah, work. How am I going to face Owen today when he comes and picks me up for lunch?" Cristina said. "I am sure he is going to see it in my face."

"Poker face, Cristina, poker face," Meredith said.

* * *

><p>An hour later, both girls were at their respective workplaces. Jackson stopped by Cristina's office. He saw her munching on the bagel and cream cheese he had left for her.<p>

"Oh, good, you are feeling better, today. You are actually eating. So I take it the stomach flu has been vanquished," Jackson said.

"Yes, the stomach flu is no more," Cristina said. "Thanks for asking."

"Great," he said. "So we can expect a better day, today."

"Yup," she said, giving him a huge, fake smile. As Jackson left, her phone rang. She knew immediately that it was Owen.

"So how are you feeling, baby?" he asked.

"Okay," she said. "I am doing much better, today. The medicine, that Dr. Webber gave me, has worked wonders."

"Happy to hear that. So I guess that means we can have lunch today, as usual, since we missed lunch, yesterday," he said.

"Yes, certainly," she answered. She knew she had to say yes because otherwise, it would be too suspicious that she would be missing lunch, two days in a row.

"Okay, I will come and pick you up at 12 noon," he said. "See you then. Missed you. Didn't see you at all, yesterday."

"Yeah, me too," she said.

"Okay, bye. Love you," he said.

"Yeah, bye," she said and hung up the phone, quickly.

Again, Owen noticed that she did not respond with her "love you, too" as she usually did. Cristina felt bad to say it because she knew she was hiding something from him. Somehow, it just didn't feel right to say it.

She took in a deep breath before she made her next call. "Good morning, Patricia. This is Cristina Yang. Can I speak to Dr. Webber for about two minutes?"

She waited while Patricia transferred the call to Dr. Webber. She heard his booming voice. "Cristina, don't tell me you are still not feeling better? I was sure the anti-nausea medicine was going to work."

"Yes, sir. It is not that. The medicine has been working. I need your assistance," she said.

"I will try to assist in any which way I can," Dr. Webber said. "What is the problem?"

"I called the Millbrook Women's Clinic this morning and they can't give me an appointment for two weeks. I was wondering whether you can help in getting me an earlier appointment," she said.

"Oh," he said. He paused for a moment. He really had not expected this outcome. He would have thought that young Hunt would have welcomed a baby, given that his mother had been clamoring for grandchildren for the last couple of years. He always thought that the young man was someone, who would take his responsibilities very seriously. He was a little disappointed.

"Alright, then. I will give them a call," Dr. Webber agreed. "I will let you know later today."

"Thank you, Dr. Webber," she said.

* * *

><p>It was a quiet morning until Owen came promptly at noon to pick her up to go to the diner. "It's just lunch," she told herself. He came to her office, closed the door, took her face in his hands and kissed her square on the mouth. "That's because I didn't see you all day, yesterday." He took her hand and led her out of her office and out of the store. They walked hand-in-hand to the diner.<p>

In her mind, Cristina said, "I can do this." She looked up at him and gave him the same huge, fake smile she had given Avery earlier in the day.

The lunch was pleasant enough as Cristina put all thoughts of the pregnancy out of her mind and chattered about everyday topics. It was nearing the end of the lunch that she got a phone call. She looked at the screen. It was Dr. Webber. She needed to take this call but she was in front of Owen. She had to make her conversation as neutral as possible.

"Hello Dr. Webber," Cristina said. "You have that information for me."

She took out her notebook. "Tomorrow at 10 a.m. Yes, that will be fine. Thank you."

"What was that all about?" Owen asked, curious.

"Oh, he was just telling me what time he would be in the mercantile to pick up a special package we had ordered for him. That's all," Cristina said.

"Oh, okay," Owen said. He paid the bill and together, they walked back to the store.

"Should I come over tonight?" he asked, hopefully. He raised his eyebrows to let her know what he really wanted.

"Um, no. I think it will be an early night. Still recovering from that flu," she said. She could tell he was disappointed but she couldn't take facing him for an entire night when she knew she had that appointment, the next morning.

"Oh, okay," he said. He kissed her before he got into his truck and went back to the farm.

Cristina immediately sought out Jackson. "Jackson, I was wondering whether I could borrow your vehicle, tomorrow. I have some business in Millbrook," she said.

"Sure, that will be fine," Jackson said, before turning away to deal with a customer.

She went to her office and called Meredith. "Hey, Mer, I got an appointment for tomorrow at 10 a.m. I am borrowing Jackson's car to get there. Would you be there for me?" she asked.

"Yes," Meredith said. "I will discuss it with Miss Bailey and I am pretty sure I can get the morning off, since I worked last Saturday for her."

"Okay, thanks," Cristina said. The rest of the day was a blur and when she got home at night, the guilt of not telling Owen was weighing heavily on her mind. She had a restless night, tossing and turning. She dreamed of Owen and could only see him with a sad face.

She woke up early the next morning and went down to the mercantile and picked up Jackson's car. She drove it back to the cottage. Meredith was already up, having her morning coffee.

"So we are really going to do this," Meredith said.

"Yes," Cristina said, softly. "I got the car from Jackson, this morning. I will drive down to Millbrook and I guess you should drive us back."

"Millbrook is about 50 miles away, so we should get there in less than 45 minutes," Meredith estimated. "So let us leave by 9.00 a.m. to get there on time."

"Okay," Cristina said, as she headed to her room to take a quick shower. The girls were ready to be on their way by 9 a.m.

Meredith observed her friend, her fingers were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. "Cristina, you can still change your mind, you know," Meredith said.

"No, no this is the right thing to do," she said, trying to convince herself that she was doing what was best for her and Owen in this stage of their relationship.

"Okay," Meredith said. "If you say so." The two friends rode the rest of the way in silence.

By the time, they pulled up in front of the Millbrook Women's Health Clinic, they found a parking spot. Cristina stared at the nondescript building with just the sign to the front. They watch several women enter the building; all were accompanied by a friend.

"Ready?" Meredith asked.

"Give me a minute, please," Cristina said. She started muttering to herself. "I can do this, I can do this."

She turned to Meredith, "Let's go." She picked up her handbag and they made the short walk into the building. She went up to the receptionist's desk.

"Good morning. My name is Cristina Yang. I have an appointment for 10 a.m," she told the receptionist in a breathless voice.

"Ah, yes," the receptionist checked her appointment list. "You were a last-minute addition for today. Well, fill out this form. After you're done with that, you will have to undergo a mandatory counseling session with one of our therapists."

"Counseling?" Cristina asked in surprise.

"Yes, we have to ensure that you are in the proper frame of mind and that you are ready to do this," the receptionist said. "We have had people change their minds. Some come back at a later date, some don't. It is a huge step and we just want to ensure that it is the right thing for you. And if you do decide to go through with it, we want to prepare you on what to expect, afterwards."

"That won't be me. I'm going through with this," Cristina said in a shaky voice.

"Well, okay then. Just fill out the form and I will set you up with Sandy," the receptionist said.

Meanwhile, back in Huntsville, Owen had come into town to go to the bank. He decided to step into the mercantile to visit with Cristina. He went to her office and found the door locked. That was strange, he thought. He spotted Mr. Avery at the cash register and enquired about Cristina's whereabouts.

"Jackson told me she had some business to do in Millbrook. He was rather vague about it. She borrowed Jackson's car to go to Millbrook. That's all I know," Mr. Avery said.

"Thanks," Owen said. He found it strange that Cristina had not told him that she was driving to Millbrook that morning. He decided to stop in the book department and was surprised to find Dr. Webber browsing the book section.

"Ah, Owen," Dr. Webber said. "How are you and your lovely mama?"

"Mom's fine. She expects you to come by for lunch on Sunday," Owen said.

"I will be there. Your mama is a fine cook and a beautiful lady," Dr. Webber said.

"So are you here to pick up your special package?" Owen asked.

"What special package? I am just here to pick up a few books. A little slow in the clinic, right now, so I thought I would get some reading done," Dr. Webber said.

"I thought you called Cristina yesterday, saying that you were going to come in this morning to collect your special package," Owen said.

Dr. Webber looked confused for a minute, then he said, "Oh, no, no. I had called her about her appointment in Millbrook."

"Appointment in Millbrook?" Owen said, perplexed.

"Yes, at the women's health clinic," Dr. Webber said.

"Why is Cristina going to the women's health clinic in Millbrook?" Owen asked, more than a little confused, now.

Dr. Webber look at Owen's baffled expression. "You don't know, do you?" He slapped his forehead with his hand. "I thought you had discussed it and made a decision."

"Made a decision about what?" Owen was becoming even more agitated.

Dr. Webber sighed. "About terminating the pregnancy. She had an appointment at the women's health clinic this morning," he said.

"What? Cristina is pregnant!" Owen exclaimed. He didn't know what to think. He saw her yesterday and she didn't even mention something as important as this. "Thank you for telling me," he said, as he rushed out of the mercantile.

He jumped in his truck and started to drive to Millbrook. Speed limits be damned, he thought. He would pay the fine, if he got pulled over. There were more important things at stake. He needed to stop her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I do appreciate reading them. Reviews are love.**


	15. Chapter 15 A race against time

As Owen sped along the highway, he felt a sense of urgency he had never felt before in his life. He was doing 95 in a 70 zone but he didn't care. He needed to get there on time. He was a man with a sole purpose.

Meanwhile, at the women's clinic, Cristina had been placed in a bright, cheerful office. No one was in there, as yet. She could see the counselor's pictures of her family on her desk. Sandy, the counselor, had three children – two boys and a girl.

Cristina sat there, her legs shaking. She needed to burn off all of this nervous energy that she was feeling. She heard the door open and a smiling brunette stepped inside. She looked at her file, before she spoke.

"Good morning, Miss Yang. Can I call you Cristina?" the woman asked, offering her hand for Cristina to shake. "I am Sandy Thornton."

"Yes, that's fine," Cristina said, shaking the woman's soft hand.

"You can call me Sandy. Well, Cristina, this is a mandatory counseling session that our clients must go through, before any procedures are done. We want to make sure that you are making the right choice for you and that you are in the proper frame of mind for the procedure. Once it is done, it is irrevocable," Sandy said, taking her seat behind her desk.

"Yes, I understand. You have some lovely children. I was looking at the pictures before you came in," Cristina said.

"Yes, they are but they can be a handful, especially my sons. They try to test how far they can go with me before I get mad. But I love them, anyway," Sandy said. "So, Cristina, let's just start by asking you why is it that you want to get the procedure done?"

"I just don't think it is the right time in my life to have this baby. I just moved to Iowa and I just started a new job. I am still settling in," Cristina responded, wringing her hands as she spoke.

"Okay, what about your relationship with the father of this baby?" Sandy asked. "Are you still in a relationship with this man and is he in agreement with the termination?"

"That's also part of the reason why I want to terminate. I only met this man about seven weeks ago and it is too early in the relationship to be bringing a baby into it. I am not even sure about how he feels about me. We say we love each other but I don't know if he is just saying it because we are in a relationship. I mean, we've known each other for seven weeks. Can you fall in love with someone that fast?" Cristina said.

Sandy stared at her file. "You say you've known this man for about seven weeks and according to your form, you are about six/seven weeks pregnant. So you got pregnant right away?" she asked.

"Well, that happened because I was on the pill and then I fell and got a really nasty cut. The doctor gave me antibiotics, which somehow, affected the efficacy of the pill. So it was a total accident," Cristina said. "Believe me; I was in total shock when Dr. Webber told me the pregnancy news, since I have been very good in taking my contraceptive."

"So what are your boyfriend's thoughts on the termination of the pregnancy?" Sandy asked.

Cristina fell silent. Sandy picked up on her discomfort with the question, right away.

"The father – he doesn't know about it, does he?" Sandy asked.

"Um, no, I didn't tell him," Cristina admitted, staring at the floor. She felt a little ashamed about not telling Owen but she felt she was justified. She looked up. "I didn't think at this stage of our relationship, we should even be discussing having a baby. Seven weeks is just too soon. I didn't want to drop this on him. We haven't even talked about a future together. By me having this baby would mean that he would be forever tied to me. I am not even sure that he would want that. Right now, we're just having a good time."

"So, you plan to keep this a secret from him, even after the termination," Sandy said.

"Are you judging me?" Cristina asked. She was already feeling terrible about the secret and here was a stranger, who was probably making judgements about her and her choices.

"No, of course not. We are not here to judge your decisions. We are just here to help you," Sandy said, trying to assure her.

"I am already feeling bad about this," Cristina said.

"About the abortion or the secret?" Sandy asked.

"The secret, the abortion….I don't know. I want to continue a relationship with this man but I don't know if this secret will affect our relationship in the future," Cristina said. She started shaking her leg, again.

"Okay, but that is something you may have to consider, if you go through with this procedure. Okay, let's talk about some of the feelings you may have afterwards. Some women can come through this without any problems. They are at peace with their decision and can live the rest of their lives with no regrets. That is natural. Other women may have a different experience – they may have feelings of grief, guilt, sadness, crying and loss. That is also quite natural, too," Sandy said.

"I just want you to be prepared about the emotions you may feel, afterwards. It is quite normal. However, if these feelings start to affect you very badly and interfere with the functioning of your daily life, it may be time to seek some counseling," Sandy warned.

"Okay," Cristina said.

"So let's just go over everything," Sandy said. "You already read the brochure that the receptionist gave you." Cristina nodded. Sandy continued, "So you understand the physical aspect of it all."

"You have stated your reasons why you want this abortion," Sandy added. "And you have understood the emotional aspects that may affect you after the procedure."

Cristina nodded, again.

"Good. Then I am just going to ask you, one more time," Sandy said. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes..no..yes..no," Cristina said. "Yes," she said, in a shaky voice.

Sandy looked at her, sympathetically. "It is a very hard decision, Cristina. I know this. You have to be ready. This is a huge step. Once you do it, it cannot be changed. Do you need some time again?"

"Yes, please," Cristina said.

"Well, okay then. You can have half an hour in the waiting room and then you can tell the receptionist, whether you are going through the procedure or not," Sandy said.

"Thank you," Cristina said, gratefully.

"That's okay. We want you to make the right decision for yourself," Sandy said, as she got up and opened the door for Cristina. Cristina walked back to the waiting room and sat down, next to Meredith.

"Well?" Meredith asked.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Owen was still speeding along the highway, when he heard the sirens behind him. He had hoped that he would have avoided the cops but apparently, it was not to be. He sighed as he pulled over to the side.<p>

The cop stopped his car behind Owen and came out of his vehicle. "License and registration, please, sir," the policeman said. Owen dug into his glove compartment and pulled out the necessary documents.

"So you know you're doing 95 in a 70 zone?" the policeman said.

"Yes, I am aware of that, Officer," Owen said.

"Nice, this one will be easy. Usually, I have some speeding fool, trying to tell me that he wasn't speeding. Makes writing this ticket much easier," the officer said.

"Please, just write up the ticket as fast as you can. I am wasting time, here," Owen yelled in a frustrated tone. "I will pay the fine. Just write the damn ticket!"

"Excuse me?" the officer said. "I am wasting your time?"

"Listen, I really didn't want to tell you this but it is a life or death situation. My girlfriend, as we speak, is at the Millbrook Women's Clinic and is planning to terminate her pregnancy. I have to get there to stop her. I have tried calling her but apparently, her phone is off. I need to get there, urgently. And the longer you take to write up that ticket means the less time I have to get there in time," Owen said.

"Why didn't you say this, earlier?" the officer said. "I have two kids myself and I can't imagine life without them. Come on, follow me, I will give you an escort. If you continue the way you're driving all the way to Millbrook, then another cop along the way is going to stop you."

"Thank you, thank you," Owen said. "What about the ticket?"

"Forget that, man," the officer said. "Just follow me." He handed Owen back his license and registration.

The officer ran back to his patrol vehicle and drove off in front of Owen. Owen dutifully followed him in his truck. The two vehicles sped off to Millbrook.

* * *

><p>Cristina and Meredith sat quietly in the waiting room. Cristina had not spoken since she had left the counselor's office.<p>

"Cristina, you have to say something," Meredith said. "Are you going through with this or not?"

Cristina looked at her friend. "I am not sure."

"Cristina!" Meredith said. "You have to be sure. This is something that you cannot get back if you do this."

"I know. Don't you think I know that?" Cristina said. "I keep thinking about Owen."

Meredith sighed. "Do you want to get out of here? Just go back to Huntsville and figure out what you're going to do. I mean, you still have some time. We can always come back another day."

Cristina sat there, as if glued to her seat. They sat there for another five mintues, until Cristina finally got up and went to the receptionist's desk.

"I have decided not to do this, today," she told the receptionist. The receptionist nodded. She knew that some people, who were unsure, did change their minds.

"If you do decide that you want to go through with this," the receptionist said, handing her a card. "Just call and we will fit you in. Anyway, good luck, Miss Yang."

"Thank you," Cristina said. Meredith stood up and they both began walking out of the building. Meredith put her arm around her best friend, as Cristina rested her head against Meredith's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Owen had finally made it to Millbrook. The police escort had cleared the traffic in front of him and he was there in record time. He waved to the officer, as he turned into the Millbrook Women's Health Clinic parking lot. He saw Jackson Avery's car there. That was a good sign, he thought. That meant they were still there and maybe, he still had time to stop her.<p>

He got out of the truck and ran to the entrance, only to see Meredith and Cristina, walking out of the clinic. Meredith had her arm around Cristina, who had a very forlorn look. He could not believe it; he had not got there in time. His baby was gone.

He had a look of disgust on his face. He couldn't help it; he was in pain.

"How could you do this? Without even telling me," he spat out the words. He turned and walked, swiftly back to his truck. He started his truck and sped out of the parking lot, as he headed back to Huntsville.

He hadn't heard when Cristina said, "But wait…."

He could not understand how she could do such a thing. He was so angry with her. His vision became blurred. He didn't understand why, then he realized he was crying. The tears were streaming down his face. He pulled over the side of the road and wept like he had never cried before in his life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thank you for your reviews. I do appreciate reading what you think.**


	16. Chapter 16 Aftermath

Cristina was crying, uncontrollably, in the passenger seat. Meredith took several glances at her.

"Cristina, you have to stop crying," Meredith said. "You're distracting me from driving."

"I am sorry," Cristina whimpered. "But I can't help it. Did you see the way he looked at me?"

"Yes, I did. I was there," Meredith said. The look of disgust that he gave Cristina also shook Meredith, too and she wasn't even the recipient of that glare.

"He looked at me like if I was dirt," Cristina cried. "Like if I was a piece of trash that needed to be thrown away."

"Well, you've got to see it from his point of view, too," Meredith said. "He thinks you terminated the pregnancy, without telling him."

"But I didn't," Cristina wailed. "I had second thoughts about it."

"He doesn't know that, Cristina," Meredith said. "He thinks that you just terminated his baby. By the way, how did he know that you were here?"

Cristina thought for a moment. The only people who knew she was pregnant was herself, Meredith, Dr. Webber and Patricia. The culprit had to be Dr. Webber. After all, he was quite close to Owen's mom and she sat across from him at the Hunts' dining table on Sundays.

"It had to be Dr. Webber. He is too close to them. I think he is kinda seeing Owen's mom," Cristina said. "Do they call it dating at that age?"

"Are you okay, now?" Meredith asked, noting that her friend's sobs had diminished.

"Yes," Cristina said, softly, staring out the window. They continued down the road in silence. Soon, they had reached the outskirts of Huntsville.

"Do you want to go into work or should I drop you off at the cottage?" Meredith asked.

"No, I will go into work. It will keep my brain occupied so I won't think of certain things," Cristina said. Meredith stopped the car in front of Bailey's law offices and picked up her handbag from the back seat, before getting out. Cristina climbed across the gear shift and slipped into the driver's seat.

"So you are going to be okay?" Meredith asked.

"Yes," Cristina said. "I will see you tonight at home." She drove off and parked the car into Jackson's parking spot. She waved at Mr. Avery at the cash register and headed to her office. She hoped to clear up a lot of paperwork that evening. She needed to just dive into it and forget all of her troubles.

There was a small rap on her office door. She recognized Jackson's special knock. "Come in, Jackson," she said. Jackson opened the door and stuck his head inside.

"I saw my car parked in its spot and I knew you were back from Millbrook," Jackson said. "Did you get through with what you needed to do?"

"Yes," she answered, even though it was not really true. He noted her red eyes, so it looked like she had been crying. He didn't venture to ask because if she had wanted to share, she would have told him.

"Okay, that's good," he said. "Call me if you need anything."

She nodded. "Thanks, Jackson for lending me your car."

"That's okay. You can borrow it any time you want. I can always use Grandpa's car, anyway. It's not like he goes anywhere with it," Jackson said. "Okay, see you. Going to do some stocktaking, now."

"Yeah, okay," Cristina said, as Jackson closed the door, quietly. She buried herself in work for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Back at the farm, Owen, too, was working hard. He didn't want to think about Cristina and what had transpired during that day. He still could not believe that she could do something like that. That wasn't the girl he knew and loved.<p>

He had cried a lot that morning, on the way back to Huntsville. When he got to the farm, he went out to help the farmhands . Maybe, some good manual labor would help him forget his troubles. In the evening, he went home and took a long, warm shower before heading downstairs for dinner. He was quiet, Susannah noted. Owen was always quiet but this time, she could sense a sadness in his silence. Especially since he wasn't eating; he was absentmindedly turning his fork around in his plate. Susannah could not take it, anymore. She had to ask.

"Owen, is something wrong?" she asked, in a concerned voice.

"Why do you ask?" he said, wondering if he was so obvious.

"Well, I know you are a quiet man, but there is something different tonight," she said.

"Something is bothering me," he said. "But there is nothing you can do about it."

"Oh," she said. "Well, why don't you go over to Cristina's place? She always cheers you up." Owen looked at his mother with such pain in his eyes that she knew immediately that it was Cristina who had her son in this depressed state.

"What happened between the two of you?" Susannah asked. "Did you have a fight?" She had been certain that this girl would have been the one for her son and be the person he would settle down with. She knew her son was totally enamored with the girl, so she was surprised by this turn of events.

"Cristina and I have broken up, Mom," Owen said. He hoped she would leave it that but he knew his mother would not be satisfied by that.

"Well, why don't you just go over there and fix it?" she asked. "I know you have deep feelings for the girl."

"It's not that easily fixed," Owen said, putting down his fork. He was only fooling himself that he could eat, he thought.

"Why, son?" Susannah said. "Everything can be fixed with a little understanding and love."

"Mom, it's like this. Cristina did something without telling me and it is very upsetting what she did," Owen said.

Susannah could not imagine what it was that Cristina did that could upset Owen like this. She could only think of one thing. "Did she cheat on you? Is that it? With that Avery boy?" Susannah asked. She would be so angry if Cristina had cheated on Owen. She was also aware of the Avery boy's terrible crush on Cristina.

Owen sighed. His mother was so persistent with her line of questioning.

"No, Mom, she did not cheat on me," Owen said, sadly. "And I really can't talk about it, right now. When the time is right and I feel up to it, I will discuss with you. But for now, I don't want to discuss it."

"Okay, son," Susannah said. She knew when to back off. She was not going to get anything out of him, tonight.

"I think I am going to my room," Owen said. "I need some time to think." He got up from the table and headed straight upstairs.

Just then, the phone rang. It was Richard Webber. "Hello, beautiful Susannah," Dr. Webber said.

"Oh, you know how to flatter the older ladies," Susannah said.

"It's no flattery but all true," Webber said.

"Well, it's good to hear your voice. At least someone wants to talk to me," she said.

"What? Owen isn't talking to you?" Webber asked.

"Well, he's gone all broody and won't tell me why," Susannah said. "I am pretty sure it has to do with his girlfriend, Cristina. Oh, sorry, ex-girlfriend. He says they broke up. Now, that I find hard to believe. He loves the girl. He said she did something without telling him and that's why they've broken up."

"So he didn't get there in time," Webber muttered.

"What?" Susannah asked. "What are you talking about?" Clearly, Webber knew more about the situation than he was letting on.

"Oh, nothing," Webber said. He knew he had to end this conversation, soon before he said anything more than he should. "Well, Susannah, just called to see how you were doing. Good night, lovely."

"Good night, Richard," she said, hanging up the phone. She knew she had to get to the bottom of this. She made a mental note that she had to speak with the young lady who was clearly at the center of all of this.

* * *

><p>Cristina was at her cottage, after work. Meredith was working late and she was alone. Today had been a really tough day, she thought. She took out her phone out of her bag. There were no calls from Owen. Not that she really expected any but she still hoped a little. She went to the bathroom. This was not going to be a quick shower night. She was going to take a soak in her bathtub.<p>

As she slipped into the tub, she allowed the warm water to envelop her, as she tried to soak away her troubles. She closed her eyes and tried to relax but all she could see was the look of revulsion on Owen's face. She started to sob, again. The bathroom reverberated with the sound of her sobs. As she cried, she felt her still flat stomach. There was a baby growing inside of her. The enormity of it finally hit her. There was a life inside of her and she could be its mommy, if she tried.

It was at that moment she had finally made up her mind. She was going to be a mommy. She got out of the bathtub, dried herself, went to her bedroom and took out the card from the Millbrook Women's Health Clinic that the receptionist had given her. She tore it up and threw it in the bin. She had made her decision – she was going to have this baby.

Having finally made a definitive decision somehow calmed Cristina's troubled mind. There was no more doubt. She brushed her teeth and pulled on a nightshirt and slipped into bed. She closed her eyes and fell asleep in five minutes.

While she slept, the father of her baby was not having a good night. He lay in his bed and tossed and turned all night. He was sad, he was angry, he was still in total disbelief that she could have done this without telling him. He wondered what he was more angry about – that she did it or that she failed to discuss any of it with him. After all, he was the father of this child. Shouldn't he have had some say in what they were going to do. She didn't make this baby on her own, he thought, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

The next morning, Cristina woke up early, dressed quickly and headed over to the clinic. She knew that Dr. O' Malley came in at 7 a.m. and Dr. Webber did not come in until 8 a.m. She needed to see Dr. O' Malley before Dr. Webber came in.

She walked swiftly to the clinic. Only Olivia was there.

"Dr. Webber doesn't come in until 8 o' clock, Cristina," Olivia said.

"I didn't come in to see Dr. Webber," Cristina said. "I would like to see Dr. O' Malley."

Olivia was very surprised. Since Cristina had been in town, she had only seen Dr. Webber.

"Okay, then," Olivia said, heading to the filing cabinet s to take out Cristina's medical records. She took the file into Dr O' Malley's office and came back out.

"Go into Exam Room 1," Olivia said. "You can change into a gown and wait for Dr. O' Malley."

"Thanks, Olivia," Cristina said to the redhead before she went into the exam room and changed her clothes. Five minutes later, Dr. O' Malley came in, reading her file.

"Good morning, Cristina," O' Malley said.

"Good morning, Dr. O' Malley," she said.

"Oh, call me George. We're pretty close in age," he said. "Dr. O' Malley sounds like my dad."

"Okay," she said. "George you are."

"Well, I see you are pregnant – about seven weeks," he said. "You came in earlier in the week. You already had an ultrasound. So why are you here today? It seems that Dr. Webber has prescribed anti-nausea medicine plus pre-natal vitamins."

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to make you my primary doctor during this pregnancy," Cristina said. O'Malley looked a bit shocked.

"But Dr. Webber has been your doctor, since you moved into town," O' Malley said. "Why do you want to change?"

"Dr. Webber is a little too close to the father of the baby," Cristina said. "We've broken up and I would like to keep my medical issues private."

O'Malley knew she was talking about Owen Hunt. He had seen them kissing at the ill-fated Karev-Stevens wedding where the Mayor had been poisoned. Little did he know that was the same night that Owen and Cristina had consummated their relationship.

"Oh," O'Malley said. He was not going to question her motives. It was not his business. "You do know that I am a family doctor and while I can do a normal baby delivery, we don't have the equipment here in Huntsville if it is a complicated delivery. So while I will take care of your pre-natal needs, it might be wise for you to have the baby at the Brewster hospital. There is a fine ob/gyn there called Dr. Withers, who would be able to deliver your baby or do a C-section, if necessary, if there are complications."

"Okay," Cristina said. "Can you set up an appointment for me with him?"

"Yes," O' Malley said. "I will. Okay, so now that you are now my patient, I am going to set up a schedule of appointments for you, so we can take care of you during the pregnancy. Olivia can set that up for you."

He did a physical examination of Cristina, after which he reported, "You are a healthy, young woman and I think this will probably be a good pregnancy."

"Thank you for everything," she said.

"Okay, get dressed and you can have a chat with Olivia about setting up your schedule," he said. "She also has lots of literature about pregnancy and birth. You should get yourself familiarized."

As she got dressed and left the exam room, she was getting her appointment schedule from Olivia when Dr. Webber came in.

"Cristina, are you here to see me?" Dr. Webber asked.

"No, Dr. Webber," she said. "I just saw Dr O' Malley." She stared at the floor because she did not want to look at him in the face.

"Okay, Cristina," he said. "I am sure he took care of your needs." Cristina quickly got out of there before any more questions were asked. She picked up a sandwich and a coffee at the diner, before heading to the mercantile.

She settled down into her office and had her breakfast. She was so incredibly hungry. She realized that she was going to be very hungry over the next seven months. She smiled to herself.

She heard a knock on her door. It didn't sound like Jackson. She knew his special knock. It probably was a customer. She tidied up her desk before she went to open the door.

She was very surprised when she saw Susannah Hunt standing in front of her.

"Mrs. Hunt, what are you doing here?" Cristina asked.

"I am here to find out what has happened between you and my son," Susannah said. "I am going to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please remember to leave your reviews. Thanks.**


	17. Chapter 17 A step forward

"Oh," Cristina said. "Come on in and have a seat, Mrs. Hunt." The older woman stepped into the small office and took a seat.

"Well, my son was a total mess, last night and it is obvious that his distressed mood clearly had something to do with you. He told me that you two had broken up. Now I find that hard to believe, given that I know my son loves you very much," Susannah said.

Cristina wrung her hands together. "Did he send you here? Did he tell you what happened?" She was not willing to divulge her business to Mrs. Hunt, unless Owen had told her something.

"No, he didn't send me here. I came on my own accord because I hate to see my son in this state. He told me that you had done something without telling him and whatever it is what you did, was very upsetting. He didn't want to talk about it at all. He's upset and because of that, I am upset," Susannah said. "I was hoping that you would be able to shed some light on what has happened between the two of you."

"Mrs. Hunt, I don't mean to be rude but I don't think I can discuss with you what has happened between the two of us," Cristina answered. "It's nothing I would like to share at the moment."

"Oh, you are just like Owen. Both so very stubborn," Susannah said. "At least I tried. I do wish you two can fix what is wrong between the two of you. He is absolutely miserable. He loves you, Cristina."

"Well, maybe you can tell Owen that whenever he is willing to discuss our situation, he knows where I work and where I live," Cristina said. "I am willing to hear what he has to say."

"Okay, thank you, Cristina," Susannah said, glad that the girl was at least offering an olive branch in rectifying what had gone wrong between the two of them.

"It's okay, Mrs. Hunt," Cristina said, quietly.

"Well, I will best be on my way," Mrs. Hunt said. "I have some shopping to do."

"Goodbye," Cristina said, closing the door behind the woman, as she left.

Since it was Saturday, she only had to work until noon and then she was going to head home. Usually on a Saturday, Owen would come and pick her up and they would go driving and exploring other places, where they would try new restaurants. She liked doing that but today, that was not going to happen. She sighed and started going through her files.

Susannah returned home to the farm. One of the farmhands had taken her into town to do her shopping. She had asked Owen but he had not felt like going into town. She figured that he didn't want to go because shopping meant going to the mercantile and he still wanted to avoid Cristina. The farmhand helped her carry all of her bags inside. She found Owen at the kitchen table, chewing on a piece of burnt toast.

"Owen, do you want me to make something better for you, other than that piece of toast," she asked.

"No, it's okay, mom. Did you get everything you wanted in town?" he asked.

"Yeah, I went to the grocers and I also went to the mercantile," she said. Susannah watched for any reaction from her son's face. She saw the flicker of emotion and decided to venture further.

"I saw Cristina, too. I went to her office and spoke to her," Susannah said, very deliberately. Owen threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Mom, could you not leave that alone?" he said.

"No, because you are hurting and that young lady is the key to everything," she said.

Owen paused. He didn't really want to pursue the conversation but he was dying to know what Cristina had told his mother.

"Well, what did she say?" he asked. "Did she say anything about what happened?" He was doubtful that Cristina would mention the abortion to his mother. If she had, he was certain that his mother would have been in a hysterical state because she wanted grandchildren, so badly.

"It turns out that she is as stubborn as you are and would not reveal anything to me," his mother said. That confirmed what Owen thought Cristina would do.

"But," his mother continued. "She did say if you wanted to discuss the situation, you know where she works and where she lives and she would be willing to listen to what you had to say."

"She said that?" he was surprised.

"Yes, at least she is willing to listen to you. That's something, isn't it? She's putting out an olive branch, right?" his mom said, hopefully.

"It's more complicated than that, mom," he said. "Much more complicated than that. It may take more than a talk to resolve this situation."

"Well, talking is a start," she said.

"I know you mean well, mom but I wish you would just leave this alone," he said. He got up and threw away what was left of his toast.

"You two exasperate me so much," Susannah said, as she put away her groceries. "At least, I tried."

Owen quietly helped his mother put away the rest of the groceries. He then went to his bedroom and lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was rare he was ever home on a Saturday. Usually, he would be heading into town and picking up Cristina so they could go driving but obviously, that was not going to be.

The rest of the weekend was spent in quiet reflection for Owen. Dr. Webber had come across for Sunday lunch and he nodded sympathetically in Owen's direction. Owen nodded back in acknowledgement. Susannah did not miss the exchange between the two men but still, no one would reveal anything to her. She was so frustrated by it all. Also, the absence of Cristina at the dining table was glaringly obvious and weighed on everyone's minds.

* * *

><p>On Monday, Owen had made up his mind to confront Cristina. He needed to know why she did it. He hd to know why she did not tell him. He did not go to the mercantile directly but decided to go to the diner and wait for her. He knew she would come to the diner for lunch.<p>

Teddy came over. "Hey, Owen. Where's Cristina?" she asked. "She's usually here with you."

"Just waiting for her," he said. He didn't want to divulge anything further.

"Okay, what do you want to order?" she asked.

"Just a hamburger and fries," he said. "And some lemonade."

"Okay," she said. "Coming right up with that."

He sat there, staring out of the window. He contemplated what he was going to say to her. He was still thinking, when he finally saw the flash of ebony curls. She was not alone. She and that Avery kid were walking towards the diner. He groaned because he did not want any third party around, when he had this discussion.

Jackson and Cristina were having a lively conversation about a funny incident at the mercantile that day and they were both giggling by the time they entered the diner. They did not even notice Owen sitting at the other end of the diner. It was when they finally took their seats that they saw him. He was looking directly at them.

"Ooh, there is a pair of eyes watching us," Jackson said. He was aware that there was a rift between Hunt and Cristina. He knew that because Hunt did not turn up on Saturday to pick her up at the mercantile. He noticed that Cristina was walking home by herself, that day. She had looked a little sad, when she left.

"Yeah, I noticed," Cristina said. Teddy came over and took their orders. Jackson ordered for the both of them – a soup and salad for Cristina and spaghetti and meatballs for himself.

"Coming right up," Teddy said. She was surprised to see Cristina with Jackson. Didn't Owen tell her that he was waiting for Cristina? It was certainly clear to her that Cristina wasn't there to meet Owen. There was something going on between those two.

She brought out Owen's hamburger order. "There you go, Owen."

"Thanks, Teddy," he said, without even looking at her. She followed his gaze. He was staring, intently at the couple sitting on the other side of the room.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Teddy said. "It's obvious that you want to."

"Not right now," he responded. He bit into a fry and started chewing but he really wasn't tasting it. He noted the way the Avery kid had pulled out her chair and had ordered for the both of them. As if they were a couple, he thought. That Avery kid was like a vulture. Just hanging around and waiting to pick up what was left.

He was bitter about it all. It wasn't as if he and Cristina were totally done, he thought. There were things that needed to be said between the two of them. He cringed every time he heard them laugh. How dare they laugh like that when he was suffering like this? Didn't they know that he was dying on the inside?

Cristina was laughing, yes, but her laughter was just covering up her sorrow. She did think she was laughing a little too much at Avery's jokes, even though she didn't really find them all that funny. She didn't want Owen to think that she was pining for him. After all, he was the one who had looked at her like if she was a piece of garbage.

He finished his lunch and paid his bill at the cash register. It was going to be now or never, he thought. He walked across, confidently to Cristina's table. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Crisitina, Avery," he said, acknowledging them both. "Cristina, I was wondering whether we could have a discussion, soon about our situation."

"I am having lunch right now," she said. "I don't think that now is a good time." She bent her head to indicate Avery's presence.

"I can see that," he said. "Can I come by tonight?" She nodded. "Yes, If you wish," she said.

"Good," he answered. "I will be by around 7.30 p.m."

"That's good with me," she said. "I should be home from work by then." Jackson found their conversation to be very polite in a strained sort of way. He could feel the undercurrent of discord between the two of them. This discussion must be important, he thought.

Owen nodded, as he left. He drove back to the farm to go back to work. That hadn't gone quite the way he had hoped. He hadn't expected Avery to be there but at least, he was going over to her house that night.

* * *

><p>He was very nervous during dinner, his mother noticed. He hurriedly ate his meal, much faster than expected.<p>

"Slow down, son, you are going to get indigestion," she said.

"I told Cristina I was going to be at her house at 7.30. I don't want to be late," he said.

"Good, good, Owen, that is terrific news," she said. Maybe this was finally going to be fixed once and for all.

He looked at his mother, who was so hoping for the best. "We're going to have a discussion, mom. It doesn't mean that it is going to work out in the end." He was preparing her for the fact that maybe, their situation may be too dire to fix. After all, he was still very angry and extremely hurt.

"At least you're talking," Susannah said, brightly.

Back at her cottage, Cristina took a bath and changed into her pajamas. She lay on the couch, awaiting Owen's arrival. Meredith was over at the sheriff's place. It was just as well; she didn't particularly want Meredith to hear their loud arguments. She was certain that voices were going to be raised and angry words were going to be said. She was not looking forward to this. She was pretty sure that she was going to end up, crying.

She closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep. It was the knocking on her door that woke her up. She looked at the clock. 7.30. If anything, Owen was very punctual.

She got up, took a brief look at herself in the mirror in the foyer, fixed her curls and took a deep breath, before opening the front door.

"Owen," she said. "Come in." He came in and took a seat in an armchair. "Would you like anything to drink? Coffee?" He shook his head, he didn't want any caffeine; he was already hyped up.

"Well, I guess you are here to say something," she said. "Say it."

"I am really here to ask one question," he said. "Why did you do this?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thank you for your input.**


	18. Chapter 18 Telling the truth

"Why did I do this?" she repeated his words.

"Yes, terminate the pregnancy," he said. "Especially without telling me. You didn't give me a chance to discuss what we were going to do about it. Granted we have only known each other about two months but I still think I deserved some sort of say in it."

Cristina stayed silent for a moment.

"So when you came to Millbrook to the clinic, what was your intention?" she asked.

"I wanted to stop you from going ahead with the procedure. I wanted us to talk about it before you did anything. I wanted us to make a decision as a couple about what would be the best thing for us," he said. "That's what I wanted. I wanted us to talk."

"Okay," she said. "That's fair enough."

"Then why?" he asked. "Why did you do this?"

Cristina took a deep breath before she spoke. "I didn't."

"You didn't what?" he asked.

"I didn't go through with the procedure. I am still pregnant. Nearly two months," she said, quietly.

"Oh, my God," he yelled in happiness. He picked up her up in his arms and swung her around. "You didn't go through with it. I am so happy."

He put her down but he noticed that she did not reciprocate with equal enthusiasm. "I had second thoughts about it after seeing a counselor at the clinic. So when you saw us that day, that was after I had changed my mind."

She sat down on the sofa, as she continued. "That night, when I came home, I finally made up my mind. I decided I was going to keep the baby."

"You have made me the happiest man in the world," he said, with a huge grin on his face. "I am going to be a father."

"Yeah," she said. "So how much do you want to participate in this pregnancy?"

"What kind of question is that?" he asked. "How much I want to be part of this? I am all in, baby, through all of the appointments and ultrasounds, right up to the delivery."

"Okay," she said. She got up and took out her appointment schedule that Olivia had given her and handed it to him.

"These are my appointments with Dr. O' Malley over the course of the pregnancy. He will be my primary doctor during the pregnancy. I also have an appointment with Dr Withers at the Brewster Hospital, who will probably be the one delivering the baby," she said.

She watched as he keyed in all of her appointments into his phone. For such amazing news like this, Owen wondered why Cristina was not as enthusiastic about it. She just seemed strangely quiet. She got up and handed him a copy of the ultrasound.

"Here is the baby. It doesn't look like much because it is early in the pregnancy," she said. He stared at the peanut-shaped blob. This was his baby. His heart swelled with pride.

"When is the baby due?" he asked.

"Late March, early April," she said. "A spring baby."

"That would be nice. All the flowers will be coming out, then," he said. "Have you told your parents?"

"No, not as yet, I was going to wait till I passed the first trimester," she said. "No need to get them all hyped up, in case I lose it."

"You are not going to lose it. You are going to take care of yourself. I am going to take care of you. How many more weeks again before the trimester is over?" he asked.

"About four more weeks," she said.

"Can I tell my mom? She is going to be over the moon about it," he said.

"If you wish," she said. "The only people that know about this are you, me, Meredith and the doctors and nurses at the Huntsville clinic. Just remind her that I am not yet out of my first trimester."

He just kept smiling at her. "Do you want to talk about us as a couple? Our future together."

"Us?" she repeated. "We are not a couple."

"What?" he said, incredulous at her statement. "We're having a baby, Cristina. Of course, we are a couple." The smile was wiped from his face.

"I am having your baby. It doesn't mean we're a couple," she said.

He didn't understand what was going on with her. "What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing," she said. "If that is all, I think I am going to go to bed, now. I am feeling exhausted. I think you know your way out."

He was dumbfounded, as he watched her go into her bedroom. He sat on the sofa. What in the world was going on here?

He went to her door. "Cristina, I am leaving now," he said. "If you want to talk some more, please call me." There was no answer, so he assumed that she was asleep.

Actually, she was not. She lay in her bed, silently crying. She was a mix of emotions and hormones. She was actually glad that she had told Owen about keeping the baby and she knew that he would be a decent and good father.

When she thought about Owen, all she could think about was the look of utter revulsion he had on his face when he saw her, coming out of the clinic. He hadn't even waited for her to say anything. He had looked at her like if she was dirt. It had hurt her deeply.

Cristina listened for the door closing, before turning in her bed and going to sleep.

* * *

><p>Owen drove home, still not knowing quite what to feel. On the one hand, he was beyond ecstatic. On the other hand, he was troubled by Cristina's attitude towards him. What did she mean that they were not a couple? They were a couple before the trouble started. So why couldn't they be a couple now?<p>

He parked his truck and went into the house. "Mom," he called out. "Mom, I have the most amazing news."

Susannah came running from the kitchen. "Please tell me you are back together again. You have been miserable without her."

He didn't quite know how to answer that, so he decided to tell her the other news. "Mom, Cristina is pregnant. About two months along, mom," he said. Susannah screamed with joy. She had been waiting for news like for years. With her daughter, Charlotte, running around the globe, it had become more likely that Owen would be the one who would be providing her with the grandchildren. Her dream had finally come through.

She hugged her son, tightly. "I am so happy for you and Cristina," she said. "Where is she? Is she going to move back in here?"

"She's at home. She said she was tired and she went to sleep. And I don't think she has plans to move back to the farm," Owen said. Susannah immediately recognized the strain in her son's voice when he spoke.

"What's the matter, Owen? This should one of the happiest days of your life," she said.

"It is, mom, but…" he said.

"But what?" Susannah persisted.

"Cristina said we were not a couple," he said, still puzzled by Cristina's statement.

"That's nonsense, Owen. Of course, you are a couple. You're having a baby. You love that girl so much," she said.

"I know and I do," he said. "I don't know what is going on with her. I guess I will have to wait until she tells me. But she is wrong – we are a couple and I am going to prove it to her."

"Yes, son, you do that," Susannah said. "That young woman needs to know how much you love her."

* * *

><p>The next day, he showed up at the mercantile, ready to take her to lunch, as he usually did. He went to her office and knocked but there was no answer. Mr. Avery was passing by and saw him there.<p>

"Oh, Owen, Cristina is not here, today," Mr. Avery said.

"What, is she sick?" he asked, concerned.

"No, no, she and Jackson went to Des Moines to meet with suppliers. They will be gone for two days," Mr. Avery said. "She didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't," he said. "Thanks for the information."

As he walked out of the mercantile, he called her. When she answered the phone, it was apparent she was having a conversation with Jackson. He heard her say, "Jackson, don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, hello, Cristina Yang here," she answered her phone.

"Hey, it's me," he said.

"Oh," she said. "How are you?"

"I am fine. I came to take you to lunch but found out that you weren't here. Mr. Avery said you and Jackson are away on a business trip in Des Moines," he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, we're just meeting with some suppliers," she said. "Nothing major."

"Yes, but you're gone for two days. I think you could have told me," he said.

"Why?" she said. "We are not a couple." She repeated her words from the night before.

"Why do you keep saying this?" he said, frustrated with her. She remained silent.

"Cristina, are you there?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "I am going to have lunch now. They just called us for our table."

"Can we talk when you get home? Please," he said. She paused before she spoke.

"Okay, I will be back on Wednesday night, really late, so I guess we can talk on Thursday evening. You can come to my place, if you wish," she said.

"I wish," he said, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Okay, bye, Owen," she said. The last thing he heard her say, "Coming, Jackson" before she hung up.

* * *

><p>Wednesday seemed to drag for Owen with Cristina out of town. He busied himself on the farm and did some paperwork at night. He hadn't called her because he knew she was busy. He wished that she would have called him but she didn't. He went to bed, early and woke up to the buzzing of his phone. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the screen. It was Cristina.<p>

"Hey, babe," he said.

"Good morning, Owen. Just want to let you know that I am back in town and if you wanted to talk tonight, you could come around 7 p.m." she said.

"Okay, do you want me to come to take you to lunch," he asked.

"No, it is okay. I am going to work through my lunch, so I can leave earlier," she said.

"You have to eat, Cristina," he said. "You're carrying a baby."

"I am eating," she assured him. "Jackson will go to the diner and bring something for me. I don't plan to faint on the job, especially since no one at work knows that I am pregnant."

"Take care of yourself," he said.

"I will," she said. "I guess I will see you later."

"You can count on it," he said. "Bye, baby. I love you." He deliberately used words of endearment and made sure to tell her that he loved her. They were a couple, whether she believed it or not.

* * *

><p>He found himself at Cristina's door, promptly at 7 p.m. She opened the door, dressed in her pjs.<p>

"Are you alone?" he asked. She nodded. "Meredith is staying over at the sheriff's house so we can get some privacy to talk," she confirmed.

"Good," he said. "How are you feeling? Did you have dinner?"

"Yes, I just whipped up something really quick, just now," she said.

"If you want, my mom can send food over for you," he said. "We always have lots extra."

"It's okay," she said. "I can take care of myself." She was not giving him an inch, he thought.

"My mom is very excited about the baby," he said. "She is extremely happy. She says if there is anything that you need, just tell her."

"Your mom is a very generous woman," she said. "I am glad that she is happy."

"I am happy, too," he said. "Very happy. That's why I don't know why you keep saying that we are not a couple. We are a couple. I love you more than I have loved anybody else in my life."

She blinked at him, without saying anything.

He took that as a cue to continue. "I can't imagine my life without you and my child in it."

"Hmmm," she said. She bent her head, as if considering his words.

"What does that mean? Hmmm," he asked.

"So if I didn't have your child and did go through with the termination, would we still be a couple?" she responded.

He thought for a moment. "I will be honest. I was totally devastated when I thought you had gone through with the abortion. I felt betrayed by you; that you wouldn't come to me and at least talk about it, before going through with it," he said.

"Yes, but if I had gone through with the abortion, would you still have considered us a couple?" she asked again. "Would you have still wanted to be with me?"

He paused.

"It would have taken me a while to understand why you did it but I think with time, I think I could have gotten over it. I think we could have worked it out. I loved you, even before there was a baby," he said. "And I love you, now."

"Hmmm," she said.

"Stop saying that," he said. "That's driving me crazy. I have told you that I love you. But you keep questioning whether we are a couple. Maybe it is because you don't love me. I need to know. Do you love me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your reviews. Thanks for your comments.**


	19. Chapter 19 A little bit of space

She looked at him and sighed.

"You know that I do. There is no need for you to ask that question," she said.

"Then say it," he said. "Because every time you say we are not a couple, it's like you're stabbing me in the heart. Is it so hard for you to say?"

"Alright. I love you," she said. She wasn't looking at him, when she said it.

"Say it to my face," he said. "Say it like you mean it." She went up to him, took his face into her hands and looked directly into his eyes. "I love you."

"If you love me and I love you, then why can't we be a couple?" he said. "We're having a baby together, in a couple of months. That baby ties us together for the rest of our lives."

"Maybe I am just not ready to be a couple, again. Give me some time. Let me think about it," she said. "In the meantime, you are free to come to any appointments that I may have at the doctor."

This was so not what he wanted to hear. He decided to back off. Pressing her on the couple issue was just making her pull away from him even more, making him become increasingly frustrated with her.

"Okay, if that is what you want. I am not going to push you. I am going to give you the time that you have asked for," he said. "But don't think this is over between you and me."

"I never said it was over," she said. "I just don't think we are a couple, right now. I just need some space."

"Well, at least that is something positive coming from your lips that it is not over," he said. "I know that you love me, at least. I can hold on to that."

"Thank you," she said. She took his hand and allowed him to touch her stomach. "Our baby is in there," she said. The thought of it just made him melt on the inside. "Our baby" she had said. That sounded awesomely wonderful.

Before he left, he asked if he could still take her to lunch every day. She declined. She said that would him coming to take her to lunch was a "coupley" kind of thing and she wanted to stay away from that, for the time being.

She didn't kiss him but she did give him a hug. He held her tightly. He hoped that her thinking time would be short. He didn't understand her putting this space between them but he respected it. He hoped she would come around soon.

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks, it was really hard for Owen not to be with Cristina. He had not stayed over at her house in more than a month. It was killing him that he could not see her whenever he wanted. Sometimes he would be in town, during the lunch hour period and he could see her, having lunch with either Meredith or Jackson. She was carrying his child and he was banned from having lunch with her because it was a "coupley" thing. It was so unfair, he thought. He resented Jackson, immensely, that he had ample opportunities to have lunch with Cristina, while Owen could not.<p>

Their next appointment was at the end of the first trimester. She had made it through without any mishaps and they were both exceedingly happy, as they sat in Dr. O' Malley's office. For the first time, Owen saw his baby on the ultrasound. He had that picture of the peanut that Cristina had given him but it was nothing like this. He could actually see the shape of a baby with a head, arms and legs. He cried when he saw the baby. His heart was filled with joy.

"Oh, my God, Cristina," he said. "There's our baby." She was crying, too. She touched the image on the screen. She could barely imagine that she had wanted to terminate this person, just a few weeks ago.

"Yes," she said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He was surprised but he gladly accepted any contact with Cristina.

"Well, I think that I should print these out for you," he said. He printed it out and handed one to each of the parents.

"I think I am going to frame it and put it up at the farm," Owen said. "Mom will love it."

"I am going to put mine in a baby book I am starting," Cristina said. "So when he or she gets older, they will be able to see what they look like when they were growing inside of me."

"A baby book to collect all of the memories! That is a wonderful idea," George said. He beamed at them. It was clear to him that they loved each other but they didn't act like a couple that was together. He knew Cristina still lived in the cottage, while Owen lived on the farm with his mom. He never saw them together in town. Owen was usually alone, while Cristina was mainly seen with that Avery boy or her friend, Meredith. He could see how much the man loved the woman but she seemed to be keeping him at arm's length.

"I am going to tell my mom and dad today," Cristina said. "I am now past the danger zone."

"You haven't told your parents, as yet. That's a little surprising," George said.

"Well, my sister Charmaine was pregnant last year and she miscarried in her ninth week. It was devastating to my parents because it was going to be their first grandchild. I didn't want to put them through that, in case it happened to me," Cristina said. "This baby is now going to be their first grandchild."

Owen was flabbergasted. He didn't even know Cristina had a sister named Charmaine. There seemed to be so much about her that he needed to know.

"Can I start telling other people?" he asked. "My mom knows, already but I was wondering whether it would be okay with you that it becomes common knowledge. That we are expecting a baby."

She nodded. "It's okay. It is not going to be long again when I can't hide it, anymore. So you can start telling your friends and the workers at the farm." Owen grinned from ear to ear. He had been waiting for this moment since she had first told him that she had kept the baby.

As they left the doctor's office, it was close to lunchtime. "Do you want to go to lunch?" he asked. "I am not asking because it is a coupley thing. I am asking because I am hungry and maybe you are hungry, too." He hoped that she wasn't going to make up some lame excuse not to have lunch with him.

"Alright," she said. "I am hungry, too. This baby has increased my appetite. Let's go to the diner." They walked to the diner, which was not too far from the doctors' office. If they were a couple, he would have been holding her hand.

They walked into Lucky Diner and found that their favorite table had just been vacated. "Lucky us," Cristina said, as she sat down. Teddy came over and started taking their order. Cristina ordered a substantially heavier meal than what she would normally order, while Owen ordered his usual.

He looked at her delicate face. It was a long time, since they had sat at the same table and shared a meal, together. She no longer came across to the farm for Sunday lunch, anymore and it was just usually him, his mom and Dr. Webber. Her absence at their table was very noticeable because all three of them knew that Cristina was pregnant with Owen's child. Everyone would stare at the empty chair that Cristina normally occupied. Though it was unspoken, they all thought about her.

"Yes?" she asked, as she caught his eyes on her face. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," he said. "I was just thinking how nice it is to share a meal with you," he said. "It has been a while." Teddy soon brought over their food. "Enjoy," she said.

Owen watched Cristina dive into her food. She was extremely famished as she wolfed down everything on her plate. Then, she started to pick up some of his fries and started chewing on that. Teddy came by and noticed that while Owen was still eating, Cristina had completely cleared her plate.

"Whoa, Cristina, that is quite an appetite you have there," Teddy said. "First time I have ever seen you finish your lunch faster than Owen."

"I was extremely hungry," Cristina explained.

Owen grinned. "She's eating for two," he said. The words were out of his mouth before he caught himself. Teddy's face broke out in a huge smile.

"Oh my God," Teddy said. "Congratulations, you two! That is fabulous news!" She gave both Owen and Cristina a hug. She turned around and faced all of the diners. "Folks, I have just heard the best news. Our population will be increasing by one in a couple of months. There is going to be a new Hunt baby joining our ranks." The patrons of the diner broke out in spontaneous applause and everyone came around and offered their congratulations.

As the crowd finally thinned around their table, Owen turned to Cristina and said, apologetically. "I am sorry that came out of my mouth. It was just a slip."

She turned to him. "Well, it is okay. We were going to start telling people, anyway. I just didn't expect it to be announced in such a public way."

"By the end of the hour, the whole town will know about it," he said. "Just prepare yourself for that. Word will spread like wildfire."

"It's just as well," she said.

"Can I walk you back to the mercantile?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, sure, if you wish," she said. He got up and went to the cash register to pay. She waited for him just outside of the diner. They walked back to the mercantile.

"Soon I will have to start ordering maternity clothes," she said. "And I will be the size of a hippo and waddling down the streets."

"I think you will still be very cute, regardless," he said.

"Thank you, kind sir. But you are biased. I am having your baby, so you are forced to like me," she said, laughing.

They stopped in front of the mercantile, when Owen spoke, "I don't just like you and I am not forced to like you. I love you, Cristina. You know that," he said, as he took her two hands into his.

"I love you, too," she said. This time, she said it, without him having to ask her to say it.

He smiled. "Thank you," he said. He kissed her on the cheek and turned to leave.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" she asked. "You don't have to, if you are busy." Then, she paused. "Never mind, you don't have to."

He turned back. "I want to. I desperately want to. I will never be too busy for you." He grinned. This was a positive sign for him. Maybe her thinking time was soon going to be over. He could only hope.

With a quick look back, he left her there at the entrance of the mercantile. She was deep in her own thoughts when she bumped into Mr. Avery. "I hear congratulations are in order," Mr. Avery said. "So when is the baby due?"

"In spring," Cristina said. She spotted Jackson, helping a customer. He gave her a wave but he definitely had a strange look on his face. She was certain that he had already heard the news. She had wanted to tell him before he heard it over the town grapevine. After all, he was her friend and she saw him, almost every day. It was too bad that someone else had told him before she did.

She went back to her office and before she could even put her handbag down, her phone rang. It was Meredith.

"Cristina Yang, I just heard from a stranger on the street that you are pregnant," Meredith said, laughing loudly.

"Yes, well, I guess everyone knows," Cristina said. "I suppose people are excited because it is a Hunt baby and they are a prominent family. After all, the town is named after them."

"Well, the news traveled fast. My boss just scolded me about why I didn't tell her before," Meredith said. "Gotta go now."

She had just hung up, when another call came through. She looked at the number. It was Owen's home phone number."Hello, Owen, you got back to the farm really fast," she said.

"No, it is not Owen," the soft voice on the other end said.

"Oh, Mrs. Hunt, how are you?" Cristina said.

"I just got about 10 calls from townsfolk, congratulating me on the impending birth of my grandchild," Susannah said. "So you all have started to tell people."

"Yes," Cristina said. "Actually, it was done for us and then it spread all over town."

"That's how it is in small towns," Susannah said. "Cristina, I want to ask you a favor."

"Okay, anything you need from the store?" Cristina asked.

"No, nothing like that. I want to invite you to come over for Sunday lunch. You have not been to the farm in more than a month and we miss you at our table," Susannah said. "Please. You are part of our family, now."

Cristina paused. It was hard to say no to Mrs. Hunt, especially when she was asking so nicely. "Yes, I will be there," she said, finally.

"Wonderful, dear. I will have Owen pick you up at 11.30," Susannah said.

"Okay, thank you," Cristina said. As she hung up her mobile phone, her extension began ringing off the hook, as every mercantile employee called to congratulate her.

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><p>By the end of the day, she was exhausted from receiving so many congratulatory calls. She was very pleased when she heard another piece of news that was spreading throughout the town. It had soon replaced her pregnancy news as the topic of the day.<p>

It turned out that there was now a break in the mayor's murder. The anonymous note sender had finally come forward and he had a very interesting piece of information to share with the sheriff. His identity was soon going to be known to everyone.

The town waited with bated breath.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thanks.**


	20. Chapter 20 Forgiveness

Cristina stared at her naked body in front of the mirror. She placed her hand on her stomach – the baby bump was starting to take shape. She had always had a perfectly flat stomach and to see the obvious curve was strange. She felt the rounding of her swollen breasts. It was amazing to feel the changes in her body and she was only three months along. She could only imagine what her body would look like as the pregnancy progressed.

She heard the doorbell ring. That was probably Owen. She hurriedly dressed, pulling on her underwear and pajamas and stepping into her slippers. She left her bedroom and opened the front door.

Owen was there with a huge smile on his face and bowls of food in his hand. "Hi," he said. "Mom sent these over for you. She said you have to eat properly. One is a casserole and the other is a roast chicken."

"Tell your mom thanks," Cristina said, as she took the bowls from him and placed it in the refrigerator.

Owen stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room. He had not been at her house in more than a month, since the day she had told him that they were not a couple.

"Have a seat," she said. He sat down on one end of the sofa and she, on the other end.

"Have you heard? The person writing the notes has come forward," Owen said. "At least that's what I heard when I went to put in gas in the truck."

"Yes, I heard that, too at the mercantile. I am waiting for Meredith to come home. She will have the inside scoop from the sheriff. I guess that is one of the advantages of dating the sheriff," she said. "I get the scoop, too, because I am her roommate."

"You can always let me know, too," he laughed.

"Of course, as soon as she comes home, I will tell you," she said.

There was an awkward silence. He wasn't sure what next to say. After all, their relationship had been so strained over the last month. It used to be so easy; he could talk to her about anything. But now, he didn't know whether he would be crossing the line since she had declared that they were not a couple.

He attempted some more chit chat, even though that was not what he wanted to talk about. He wanted to discuss what would happen, after the baby was born. He wasn't quite sure how to approach the topic, so instead, he asked, "So did you call your parents?"

She nodded. "Yes," she said. "But they are not too happy that I am having this baby out of wedlock. At least, my sister, Charmaine, was married for two years before she got pregnant."

"Come to think of it," he said. "I never knew you had a sister. Are there any more family members?"

"Yes, I have a brother, Andy. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Genevieve. They have two children, Cody and Clarissa. Charmaine lives in Charleston with her husband Wallace. They have a dog named Rosie. Since they lost the baby last year, they have been trying to get pregnant, again. She seemed a little sad, when I told her that I was pregnant. But I am sure they are going to get pregnant, again," she told him.

"So your parents are a little upset?" he said. He really didn't want the prospective grandparents of his baby to think that he would not marry Cristina. If she would allow him, he would marry her on the spot.

"Yeah, but they will get over it," she said. "Once the baby is here and I take it to show them, they will forget all about me being not married."

That was the first time that Cristina had actually mentioned about when the baby would get here. This was his opportunity, he thought.

"About that," he started. "When the baby gets here, what are your plans?"

"I am going to raise him to the best of my ability," she said.

"Him?" he queried.

"I am just using that word, generically," she replied. She had not mentioned his role in bringing up the baby. He was a little hurt by her omission.

"What about me?" he asked. "How do you see my role?"

"Well, I am sure you will play your part in taking care of the baby. I am giving you full access to the baby," she said. "Don't worry about that. The baby is as much yours as it is mine."

He realized by the way she was responding to him, it was like if she expected that they would still not be a couple by the time the baby was born. This is not what he had envisioned. He had hoped that they would have mended the rift between them and that they would approach the pregnancy and the birth of their baby, together.

"So you don't see a life with me?" he asked. "A life where we are together – you, me, the baby in our own house."

"I don't think that with the current state of our relationship, that we could contemplate that, right now," she said.

"The state of our relationship?" he scoffed. "I have given you the time, the space, yet we don't seem to have made any progress in mending our relationship." He knew he sounded miffed and that was not going to win him any points with Cristina.

He softened the tone of his voice as he pleaded, "I am at my wits' end, here. I don't know what else to do. Tell me what to do and I will do it."

"There is nothing you can do, right now. I just have to be able to forgive you," she said, staring down at the floor.

"Forgive me for what? What did I do?" he said, a little baffled.

She stayed quiet. She had been harboring this for a while and it had continued to fester within her. Just thinking about it made her brought back the hurt that she had felt in that instant.

"Remember the day I had scheduled the appointment at the Millbrook Women's Clinic and you arrived just in time to see Meredith and me leaving the clinic," she said.

"Vividly," he said. "I thought it was one of the worst days of my life."

"Well, what I remember from that moment is the way you looked at me. It was a look of pure disgust," she said. "You looked at me like if I was worse than the dirt beneath your shoe."

Owen slapped his hand to his forehead. "Is that what you have been holding against me? Is this why you have been putting me through the wringer?"

She didn't say anything.

"Cristina, see it from my point of view. I thought you had just terminated the pregnancy. I was distraught, I was devastated," he said. "On my face was just the raw emotions that I felt, then."

"It wasn't just that. It made me come to the realization that you would have had nothing to do with me, if I had terminated the baby. You would have not had it within you to be with me, if that had been the case," she said. "So why be with you when the only reason you are here is because I did keep the baby?"

"Gosh, you are being so stubborn," he said. "Okay, I admit that I had some angry feelings towards you. But the fact of the matter, baby or no baby, I do love you. The best I can say now is that I am very, deeply, truly sorry that I made you feel that way. I just want us to be together. I want you more than anything else in the world. I just want my family intact. You're my family – you, me, the baby – we are a family," he said, his blue eyes pleading.

Just then, Meredith burst through the front door. "I know who the sender of the notes is!" she screamed. She saw Owen, there and was surprised at his presence. As far as she knew, he and Cristina were not together. Owen was not pleased that she had interrupted their conversation. He had finally hoped that he was getting somewhere with Cristina.

"Who is it?" Cristina screamed back.

"Henry Burton. He said that Derek was dragging his feet on the investigation, after he gave him so many clues," Meredith said. "Of course, Derek was totally peeved at that. But Henry said Derek was barking up the wrong tree and that Teddy is not the one he should be looking at."

"Well, Henry does an affinity for Teddy," Owen noted. The two women looked at him. "He probably wanted to take the heat off of her."

"So who is the **she** in the notes?" Cristina asked.

"Well, that part I didn't find out. Derek said the investigation took a very sensitive turn because the she in the notes is the one who was the mystery woman, who was having an affair with the mayor," Meredith said. "And he had to question her."

"Gosh darn it, Meredith. You only got half the scoop," Cristina said. Meredith chuckled as she headed to her bedroom.

Cristina was laughing. Even though she only brought half of the scoop, Meredith's appearance and her news certainly lightened the mood in the cottage. For that, he was grateful but he wanted to get her back on track on discussing their issues.

"Cristina, remember what I was saying before Meredith got here. I want our family to be together," he said. "And I am sorry for everything."

"Yes, I heard," she said. She got up and walked around. He watched her every move. He wished she would say something more.

Finally, she spoke. "Do you want to see the baby bump?" she asked.

"I saw the baby bump, today. It is small and very cute," he said.

"No, you saw it, when I was lying down. It is really much more obvious when I stand up," she said.

"Well, okay, then," he said. He followed her to her bedroom. He sat on the bed as she removed her shirt. She was bare under her shirt, so he not only saw her baby bump but her fuller breasts. They had not made love in over a month and here she was, half-naked in front of him. The desire in him was intense.

"See, you can see it much more clearly," she said, proudly, as she put his hand on her stomach.

"Yes, I see it," he managed to get the words out. She was absolutely killing him here.

"And my breasts have gotten bigger," she said. He could see that, too.

"Yes, they have," he said. He knew he couldn't take it anymore. It was either she allowed him to make love to her or he had to leave the house, like now. He decided to take the latter option. "I think I better leave." He got up and opened her bedroom door. As he was about to turn the knob, he heard the magic words uttered from her lips, "Do you want to stay?"

He turned around, immediately and rushed towards her. "Oh, God, yes," he said, as he took her into his arms and claimed her lips with his own. He was drunk with the taste of her. He had not been able to kiss those lips in over a month. His whole body ached for her. He tugged at her pj bottoms as he pulled them off her legs. He slipped off her underwear and guided her to the bed, as she watched him strip off his clothing. She could see that he was already at the peak of desire.

He lay on top of her and they kissed again, his nimble fingers working between her legs to get her ready to accept him. He left a trail of kisses from her mouth, her neck, her breasts, her stomach until he reached her sex and feasted on her. Cristina closed her eyes and allowed him to infiltrate all of her senses. The drought had also affected her, too. She wanted him so badly and the pregnancy had also increased her desire for sex.

When he finally entered her, he started off much more tentatively than he usually did. She could see it in his eyes. He was afraid that he was going to hurt her or the baby.

"You're not going to hurt us," she assured him, as she pulled his body more into her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, sex is actually good for pregnant women," she said. She was sure that she read that somewhere, but in her sex-hungry frame of mind, she was doing all she could to encourage him.

"Okay," he said, as he sped up his movements. She wrapped her legs around him, as her fingers dug into his back with each probing thrust. He was taking her into realms of ecstasy that she had not ever experienced before. She wondered if her heightened level of hormones had something to do with it. Her body had certainly missed his love-making and when she came, the release was actually joyful. Plus it certainly helped that she experienced multiple orgasms.

When he finally came, he felt instant relief as he released all of his pent-up frustrations over the past month. He rested on her for a bit, before he rolled over, next to her. He looked over at her. Her face seemed so serene.

"Thank you," he said.

"Oh, no, thank you," she said. "My body missed you. I missed you."

"Me, too," he said. He needed to ask, even though he was a little fearful of asking. "Does this mean that everything is okay now? I want it to be okay. Please, Cristina."

She turned towards him. "I never stopped loving you, Owen. I always did. I was just hurt."

"We both hurt each other," he said. "But you haven't answered me. Are we okay?"

"Yes," she said, as she curled her body into his. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Yes," he said, gratefully.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Reviews help motivate me.**


	21. Chapter 21 A turn of events

She opened the door for Owen. "Right on time," she said. "Let me just put on my shoes."

"Well, Mom told me to get here to pick you up for Sunday lunch," Owen said. "She is rather excited. She wants to see your belly."

"Oh, she wants to see my belly, not me?" Cristina laughed.

"Well, you, too, but this is the first time she'll be seeing you, since you confirmed that you were carrying a Hunt baby," Owen said. "Her first grandchild. She is beyond pleased."

Owen watched as Cristina bent over and put on her shoes. "You know I probably won't be able to do this in a couple months' time," she said.

"Don't worry," he said. "I will always help you put on your shoes, and whatever else that needs to be put on, or taken off, whatever is the case. Though I do prefer to take off."

"I do know that. That is why I am in this state," she said, laughing. "Okay, I am ready."

They got into his truck and took a slow, leisurely drive to the farm. It had been a while, since Cristina had been to the farm. She had forgotten how pretty everything was.

As he helped her out of the truck, she said, "The place looks as lovely as it always has." Owen took a look around. "Yeah, I guess so but when you live around it, every day, you don't really notice it. It takes someone else to notice to really appreciate what you have got."

Mrs. Hunt was anxiously waiting on the porch for their arrival.

"What took you so long, Owen?" she said. "Hello, Cristina." She gave the young woman a kiss on the cheek and a big hug.

"Mom, just giving Cristina the scenic route. I was just giving you a chance to get the dining room table all set up," he said.

"Well, you know I have been waiting here for your arrival. Cristina, let me take a look at you. It is true, all moms-to-be do have that special glow," Susannah said. "Can I touch?" Cristina nodded. Susannah placed her hand on Cristina's stomach. She could feel the roundness of Cristina's stomach. It brought a smile to her face.

"Hey there, Grandbaby Hunt, I have been waiting for you for a long time," Susannah said. "My son has me waiting for a long time before he brought me a grandbaby. Who knows when my daughter will bring me a grandbaby?"

"Mom!" Owen said. Sometimes, he couldn't believe her. "Well, maybe, Mom, I was just waiting for the right girl to come along. And, I don't think Charlotte would appreciate you talking about her like that."

"Yeah, that must be it. You were waiting for the right girl," his mom said. "As for Charlotte, Owen, I am still waiting for her settle down in one place and not gallivanting across the globe. Well, come on in, Cristina. Dr. Webber is already here." Cristina knew that Dr. Webber would have been there and she still felt awkward around him, since she had changed doctors because he was too close to Owen's family.

As they entered the house, Dr. Webber rose from the armchair in which he was sitting.

"I was wondering when you two would get here," he said, coming forward to give Owen, a pat on the back and Cristina, a small kiss on her cheek. He knew why Cristina had changed to Dr. O'Malley as her primary physician. It didn't bother him, much. He understood why, especially since he was the one, who spilled the beans about the pregnancy to Owen. Still, it worked out for the better in the end, as the young couple seemed to be back together.

"Now that we are all here, maybe we should head to the dining room," Susannah said. Dr. Webber put out his arm for her, which she took, as they walked to the dining room.

Owen took Cristina's hand in his own, as they followed the older couple. As they got there, both Dr. Webber and Owen pulled out the chairs for their ladies. "Such handsome gentlemen," Susannah said. Both Webber and Owen grinned.

"As always, Susannah, the food looks delicious. I am sure it will be just as scrumptious," Dr. Webber said.

"I hope so," Susannah said. "When Cristina said she was going to come by for lunch, I wanted to make it extra special for her. So, I made some of your favorite dishes, Cristina, plus we have peach cobbler for dessert."

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble, Mrs. Hunt," Cristina said. "I would have been fine with anything."

"No, no, my dear, you are carrying my grandchild," Susannah said. "And you have to eat properly. Don't you agree, Owen?"

"Yes, mom," Owen said, though he did roll his eyes a bit for the benefit of Cristina, who chuckled.

"Let's dig in," Susannah said. The room became silent except for the light clanging of food and knives against their plates and appreciative sighs. As he took a bit of his roast, Dr. Webber said, "You certainly have outdone yourself today, Susannah." Mrs. Hunt blushed. "Oh, go on, Richard."

As the meal progressed, Susannah observed how Cristina was eating. She had eaten far less than Mrs. Hunt would have expected.

"Is that all you are going to eat, honey?" she asked.

Cristina stared at her plate. "This is plenty, Mrs. Hunt." I don't think I can eat much more than this."

"Hmm, you are eating for two," Susannah said. "I know you young girls are so worried about losing your figure but you have to remember the baby is getting his nutrients from you."

"Okay," Cristina said. It was no use arguing with the older woman, even though it was getting her a bit agitated.

"So, tell me, Cristina, what are your plans?" Mrs. Hunt asked. She wanted to know whether the young woman was going to marry her son.

"I don't know what you mean, exactly. I plan to have a good pregnancy and a healthy baby," Cristina said.

"No, no, I mean about Owen," Susannah said. Owen gave his mother a glare. He really had just wanted a pleasant Sunday luncheon with the two women, who meant the most to him. Susannah ignored her son's glower. He really didn't want to upset Cristina because he knew it was a touchy subject with her.

"Um, we are together, now," Cristina said.

"Really, you think so?" Susannah said. "You live in the cottage and he lives here on the farm. And for a while there, I know things weren't really right between the two of you. He was lucky to even get his foot inside the cottage. I don't like seeing my son that way. He was quite unhappy. So I was wondering if you have a fight again, will he be cut out from your life and the baby's life?"

"Mom," Owen said, shaking his head.

"No, Owen, these are hard questions that need to be answered," his mother said. "You are going to have a baby in a couple of months. A baby that needs both his mother and his father. I think Owen deserves the chance to be a full-time father. Therefore, I would like to offer you a proposal."

Everyone was dumbfounded. What kind of proposal was she talking about?

"Cristina, I want to protect my son's interests not only in the relationship but also in the baby's life. I know my son loves you very much and I hope you love him as much as he loves you. What I am proposing is that you move out of your cottage and back on the farm," she said. "I am sure Owen would love it, if you were here. I know right now, he doesn't want to scare you away but I know my son well enough to know that this is something he would want."

Owen looked first at his mother, and then at Cristina to gauge her reaction. His mother did know what he wanted and he did want Cristina to move back to the farm, more than anything else. But he knew Cristina was a very obstinate, young woman. One could not make her do things, unless she decided it for herself.

"It's okay, Cristina, you don't have to move to the farm, if you don't want to," he said. "I know my mother means well but please don't feel pressure to do this." He tried to smile but it was difficult to do so with the amount of tension in the room. He squeezed her hand to reassure her that he understood if she didn't want to move to the farm.

She looked at him. "Owen, do you want me to move to the farm?" she asked, softly.

"Cristina, it doesn't matter what I want. It is what you want to do," he said.

"It is important for you to say what you want, Owen," his mother said. Owen glowered across the dining room table at his mother. He wanted her to keep quiet. She got the message and zipped her lips.

"She's right, Owen. It is important to say what you want, how you feel," Cristina said. "You are going to be as much a parent as I am."

"Are you sure?" he said. She nodded.

"Yes, Cristina, it would mean the whole world to me, if you moved in to the farm," he said. "I would love to wake up next to you, every day. I would love that we could have breakfast every morning, together and then I would take you to work. I would love that we could sit on the porch and watch the sunset, every evening. I would love that when the time comes, I will be right there to take you to the hospital in Brewster to have our baby. Yes, Cristina, I want you to move in with me. I love you."

Susannah looked pleased. Her son finally said what he was feeling, what he had been bottling up. She knew she had butted in where she wasn't wanted. The onus was now on Cristina to make up her mind on what she wanted to do.

With the three faces looking at her, Cristina decided to be diplomatic. She could not give them a decision, right there and then. "I will definitely think about it. There are very compelling reasons for me to move to the farm, I know that. But I may have my own reasons on why I would want to stay in the cottage." If she was being honest with herself, she didn't particularly want to live in a house on a long-term basis with Mrs. Hunt. There was nothing wrong with staying a few days but the farmhouse would always be Mrs. Hunt's and Cristina would never the lady of her own house, as she was at the cottage, even if it was a tiny little space.

This was not working out the way that Mrs. Hunt had envisioned. The girl was not budging. She knew she had to play her trump card.

"Well, I know that I am sticking my nose in, again. But maybe this will help you make up your mind, Cristina," Mrs. Hunt said. She reached over and held Dr. Webber's hand. He gave her an encouraging smile.

She continued, "Dr. Webber has asked for my hand in marriage." Both Owen and Cristina opened their mouths in surprise. "And, I have accepted to become Mrs. Webber. Well, say something."

"Um, congratulations, Mom," Owen said. He was still in shock at this turn of events.

"Yes, congratulations to you both, Mrs. Hunt and Dr. Webber," Cristina said, as she finally found her voice.

"Well, since we are both older folks, we plan to get married, really soon. We are not spring chickens and we want to spend the rest of whatever life we have together," Mrs. Hunt said. "This brings me to our living situation. I plan to move into Dr. Webber's house in town and I am going to leave the farm."

"You're leaving the farm?" Owen could not believe it. "You have lived here for nearly 35 years."

"Yes, I know but it is time for a new generation," Susannah said. "You're already running the farm mostly by yourself, and I am sure you are going to continue to make your dad proud the way you have looked after the farm and the business."

She turned to Cristina, "This is why, Cristina, I was hoping that you would move into the farmhouse with Owen. I don't want him to be alone, out here. I want his family to be with him. His family is you and this baby that is going to come in a few months."

That certainly put a whole new different spin on things, Cristina thought. Still, she was not ready to make any sort of definitive decision.

"You've given me a lot to think about, Mrs. Hunt," Cristina said. "So when is the wedding?"

"In two weeks," Susannah said. "We didn't want to wait."

"Mom, two weeks!" Owen said. "That is not a lot of time to plan a wedding."

"Yes, that is why we have to get started, immediately," Susannah said. "Here are my plans…"

For the next hour, Susannah laid out her plans for her wedding, while everyone listened, intently. If there was one thing, Susannah Hunt could run a tight schedule. Each person was given a specific set of duties that needed to be fulfilled. This wedding was definitely going to happen in two weeks.

Later that evening, as Owen dropped off Cristina to the cottage. "So, have you thought about moving in?" he asked.

"Yes, I have," she said. He looked hopeful. "On the day of your mom's wedding, I will let you know," she told him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. I love reviews and reading what you think.**


	22. Chapter 22 Charlotte

The town was abuzz about the upcoming Hunt-Webber wedding. It was so romantic, the ladies thought, that Mrs. Hunt and Dr. Webber could find love in their golden years. Mrs. Hunt's husband. Joseph, had died, a couple of years ago and Dr. Webber's wife, Adele, unfortunately had early onset Alzheimer's and sadly died in a nursing home in Brewster. He had been severely depressed, when she died. It was good that the doctor, who had taken care of them for so many years, was finding a bit of happiness, even though Susannah Hunt was quite a handful.

The weekend before the wedding, Owen took his mother and Cristina to Des Moines to go shopping for their wedding attire. Owen was going to get a new suit. He was going to give his mother away, so he had to look good. Mrs. Hunt had declared that she was no spring chicken and she would not be wearing any white dress. Cristina just hoped to get a nice enough dress to camouflage her baby bump, a bit. She didn't want to look obviously pregnant at the wedding.

While Owen went to the men's suit shop, Cristina and Mrs. Hunt ended up at one of the finer department stores. They had considered the bridal store but Susannah nixed that idea. She said, "They only have those dresses for those young brides. We will go there, Cristina, when you and Owen are ready to get married."

Cristina blinked once. She blinked twice. Mrs. Hunt sure knew how to turn on the pressure. She hadn't even made up her mind about moving in with Owen, let alone marrying him. She had been thinking hard about that. There were lots of benefits of moving to the farm, including that she would be the mistress of her house and could do things the way she wanted, instead of having to worry about what Mrs. Hunt thought. Plus Owen and she could have sex, as loudly as they wanted. Then, he would also be right there, when it was time to go to the hospital. Still, she would miss her late night chats with Meredith, where they would eat ice cream and laugh about their days. Meredith was a good friend. They had been friends and roommates since college. But most of all, she valued her independence, doing things for herself and not worrying about other people's input.

As Mrs. Hunt looked through the racks for a dressy suit, Cristina looked for a nice, flowing dress. A young woman came up to her, "Can I help you?"

"Sure," Cristina said. "I am looking for a dress to attend a wedding. I am 14 weeks pregnant and I really need to get something that would help me camouflage this bump. I don't want to look so pregnant that everyone will say, 'hey, look at the pregnant girl'."

"I understand, even though I must say it is not that big of a bump," the woman said. "I am Tuesday, by the way."

"You could also help the bride choose a suit, too," Cristina said, pointing out Mrs. Hunt. "Maybe you should help her first. She is the priority." The young woman went to Mrs. Hunt and helped her choose five dressy suits for the occasion.

At the men's store, Owen looked at the suits, unable to decide which to choose. An older gentleman came up to him, "So how can I can help you, young man? Getting married, soon?"

Owen laughed. "I wish it was me, but no, my mom is getting married. I am going to give her away."

"Ah, I see," the older gentleman said. "Let me show you the appropriate suits for the occasion." Owen tried on several suits, including one that he thought he would like for his own wedding. He decided to tell Alastair – that was the older gentleman's name – to take special note of it for him.

"Alastair, I love this one. I was wondering whether you could note the style and designer for me," he said.

"You don't want to this one, now? It is a very handsome suit," Alastair asked. "The charcoal grey suit looks very well on you."

"No, not this one, now," he said. "I want it for when I get married."

"Will that be in the near future, sir?" Alastair asked. He could see that he could have another sale on his hands.

"I very much hope so," Owen said, admiring himself in the mirror. "For now, I will take the navy suit."

He was pleased with his choice. He took a final look at the grey suit. He hoped he would be able to come back for it as soon as he could.

He picked up Cristina and his mother at the store. They were also successful in their choices. Cristina finally chose a pale yellow, flowing dress while Mrs. Hunt settled on an ivory brocade suit, with matching hat. He looked at his watch.

"I guess it is time that we pick up Charlotte at the airport, Mom," Owen said. Cristina looked at him in surprise. She didn't know Owen's sister was coming in, today. She looked at herself in the side view mirror. She hoped she was not looking fat and frumpy. She pulled out her lipstick. Maybe that would improve things, she thought.

When they got to the airport, Charlotte was already waiting for them. She was also blonde and blue-eyed like Owen. Tall, with impossibly long legs in her skinny jeans, Charlotte looked tan and terrific.

"Mom," she screamed. She ran forward and hugged her mother, tightly.

"It has been so long since I have seen you, Charlotte," Susannah said. "Let me look at you. You've gotten thin."

"Oh, Mom," Charlotte said. "You're going to try to fatten me up, while I am out here. Sometimes, there aren't any good food places, when you are out in the bush." She turned to Owen and gave him a close squeeze. "Hey, big brother, you look good. Happy," she said, noting the glint in his eyes.

"I am, sis, very happy," he whispered into her ear. "Let me show you the reason why." He pulled back from her and guided Cristina forward. She had been standing back so the Hunts could have their family reunion.

"Charlotte, I would like you to meet Cristina," Owen said, happily. Charlotte enveloped her in a huge hug. "Gosh you are so tiny," Charlotte said. "And your hair is so awesome." She felt the baby bump press against her. Charlotte's face broke out into a huge smile.

"Oh, my God, is that what I think it is," Charlotte screamed. "A baby Hunt!" She looked at her brother, "No wonder you are so happy. Congratulations, Owen and you, too, Cristina." Owen was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Well, let's head home, we have so much to talk about," Susannah said. Charlotte threw her arm around her mother and they started walking off to the parking lot. Owen took's Cristina hand, as they followed them. It was a long drive back and Cristina fell asleep in the front passenger seat. She was still asleep when they arrived at the cottage.

"Wake up, baby, you're home," Owen said, gently shaking her. Cristina opened her eyes. She was a little disoriented.

"Where am I?" she said.

"You're home," he said. "Or do you want to go to the farm?"

"No, it's okay, just going to take a rest," she said. She picked up her shopping bag with her dress in it. Owen got out on the other side and helped her out of the vehicle. He waited until she got into the cottage. Cristina was really tired. Pregnancy was taking a lot out of her. She crashed on to her bed and promptly fell asleep.

As they drove off, Charlotte said, "Why doesn't she live at the farm with you? She's having your baby." Owen sighed.

"That is a sore point," Susannah said. "We have invited her to live on the farm, since I will be moving into Richard's house in town. I want her to move in to be with Owen out on the farm."

"She's still thinking about it, Mom. She told me that she would tell me on the day of the wedding," Owen said.

"For your sake, I hope the answer is in the affirmative," Susannah said. "You know, Charlotte, for a while there, Cristina and Owen were on the outs with each other. She wouldn't give him the time of day." Owen groaned. "Mom, please!"

"Okay, I will shut up, now but your brother was in a world of hurt, when that happened," Susannah said. Charlotte looked at him, sympathetically.

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><p>Later that day, after dinner, Owen and Bruno, his dog, were sitting out on the porch. Charlotte came out and joined him on the porch swing.<p>

"I had forgotten how beautiful it is out here," Charlotte said.

"I am sure you have seen some beautiful sights in your travel, Charlotte," he said.

"I have, but I have also seen lots of darkness and despair, too," she said. "It's good to be home. Home, sweet home."

"You know, I resented it at first, when Mom called me, when I was living in New York to come back to the farm, when dad got ill," he said. "Here I was, living the good life in the city – the restaurants, the plays, the nightlife, the museums. And here I was, having to go back to this small town in Iowa. But when I came back, I realized that there were so many things that I missed. Like the wide open spaces, the panoramic view of the stars at night, the quiet solitude. You don't get those things in New York."

"So you're going to be a daddy!" Charlotte gave him a cheeky look. "I never thought the day would come. Thank you for doing this. It will help keep Mom off my back for a while. Where did you meet Cristina? She clearly does not seem like an Iowa girl."

"No, she's not. She is from LA. She and her friend, Meredith had come to the Karev-Stevens wedding and their rental car had broken down and I picked them up," he said. "And the rest is history, really."

"Nasty stuff that went down on the wedding. Does Sheriff Shepherd have a suspect?" she asked.

"Yes, but he is keeping it close to his chest. He wants irrefutable evidence before he makes an arrest," Owen said. "Apparently, it is very sensitive."

"Ah, well, can't blame him. Only murder case he has ever had," Charlotte said. She wanted to talk about Cristina some more.

"So why doesn't Cristina want to move in?" Charlotte asked. "I would have thought that she would have loved to be with the father of her child."

"We've had a pretty rough go of it, since we have been together," Owen said. "We've only been back together about two weeks, now. I mean it may be rather soon after our break to have her want to move in with me. There was about a month that we weren't together. To me, we were still together but not to her. It was perhaps the worst time of my life."

"You really love this girl?" Charlotte said.

Owen nodded. "More than life itself."

"Maybe she is a little immature," Charlotte said. "I can tell she is rather young. In her twenties, right?"

"Yeah, she is 25," Owen said. "It is not so much that as the fact that she is stubborn and wants things her own way. Moving in with me means she is going to give up some of that. She will no longer just have to think about herself. So, she is difficult but I love her, anyway. And I know she loves me."

"Hmmm," Charlotte said. "Why don't you tell me everything that happened?" Owen sighed. He really wanted to talk to somebody about it. It was hard to talk to his mother. His sister had always been a good listener. So Owen started, "When Cristina found out that she was pregnant,…." Their talk went on late into the night.

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><p>The next day, Charlotte found herself in Huntsville and made a beeline to the Mercantile. She saw a handsome young man at the cash register. Good grief, she thought, was that little Jackson Avery all grown up? The last time, she saw Jackson he was about 14 years old and she was 20 years old. Now, he had to be about 24 and what a fine-looking specimen he turned out to be. She went to the cash register.<p>

"Jackson?" she said.

"Yes, may I help you?" he said, giving her one of his patented killer smiles.

"It's me, Charlotte Hunt. My word, you have grown up," she said.

"Oh, Owen Hunt's sister. We haven't seen you in Huntsville in about 10 years," Jackson said.

"The last time I was here, you were still a teenager," she said.

"Well, we do grow up, Miss Hunt," Jackson said.

"Oh, pshaw, call me Charlotte, now. Remember, we are all grown up, now. You can stop calling me Miss Hunt. Oh, by the way, are you and your granddad coming to my mom's wedding?" Charlotte said.

"Yes, we are. I think the whole town is invited," Jackson said.

"Oh, great," Charlotte said, smiling. "Well, I see you then. Can you direct me to Cristina Yang's office?"

"The offices are on the far left end of the store. Her office is the second one down," Jackson said.

"Thank you," Charlotte said, taking a final look at Jackson. Things were certainly looking up around here, she thought.

She knocked on the door. She heard Cristina's voice say, "Come in." She entered. "Hello, Cristina," Charlotte said.

"Oh, hello Charlotte," Cristina said. "Is there anything I can help you with? Is there something you would like to have specially ordered?"

"No, I am not here on store business. I am here on personal business," Charlotte said.

"Oh," Cristina said, bracing herself. These Hunt women were a force to be reckoned with.

"Yes, I was wondering when you were going to get your act together and stop acting like a spoilt child. Time for you to grow up, Cristina, and realize that it is not just you alone, anymore. There are two other people you have to think about, now."

Cristina was taken aback. "Excuse me?" Her hackles were starting to raise.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. They do spur me on to want to continue. Thanks.**


	23. Chapter 23 HuntWebber wedding

"Excuse me?" Cristina repeated. She really could not believe that Charlotte could be speaking to her in that manner, especially since they barely knew each other.

"It's time you grow up, Cristina. It's time to you start making decisions that take other people into consideration. I know you're only 25 and lots of girls your age are probably partying and taking in the nightlife but your circumstances are different. You are having a baby and that baby takes priority. Your baby needs both a mother and a father. My brother is more than willing to step up to the plate. But from what I have heard, you haven't been exactly giving him any encouragement," Charlotte said.

"If you're talking about me moving to the farm, I already told Owen that I would give him a decision on your mother's wedding day," Cristina said, wondering why Charlotte was sticking her nose into her business.

"Yeah, I heard about that. But my brother has been more than patient with you, since you got pregnant. He has been devastated by the decisions that you have taken since the pregnancy began," Charlotte said. Cristina gave her a questioning look. Charlotte continued, "Yes, I know everything about what took place."

Cristina was furious. How dare Owen share this? Especially the part about her attempt to get an abortion, Cristina thought. This was her private business. No one knew about that except Meredith, Owen and Dr. Webber. Not even Mrs. Hunt knew, unless Owen had blabbed to her, too. Cristina was getting angrier by the minute.

Still, she spoke in a calm tone. "Whatever decisions I took were ones that I thought would be best for me," Cristina said. "I am a single woman and I was pregnant for a man, who I had only known for seven weeks. I was not sure at the time whether he would want a child with a woman he barely knew."

"You don't have to be single, Cristina. My brother wants to be with you, more than anything in the world. He loves you and this baby. He would marry you today, if you let him," Charlotte's tone had softened. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Cristina was completely up in arms and her attitude had become defensive.

"Thank you, Charlotte for all of your input into my private life,' she said, sarcastically. Then, she changed her tone to emphatically state, "As it stands, I will let Owen know of my decision, regarding moving in with him at the farm. I have a lot of work to do and I hope that this conversation is over." Charlotte knew when she was being dismissed.

"Alright, Cristina. I am going," Charlotte said. "But please think about what I said."

"Good bye, Charlotte," Cristina said. She felt like crying but she wasn't going to give Charlotte the satisfaction of seeing her break down. Charlotte left and quietly closed the door. It was only when she heard Charlotte's footsteps walking away that she finally let the dams break and let the tears flow. She was so angry at Charlotte and also at Owen. How dare he discuss her private life with his sister, who didn't know her at all? She cried for about 10 minutes, before she composed herself to get on with her work.

It was closer to lunchtime when she got a call from Owen. She saw the farm's number pop up on her phone. She groaned. She really was not in the mood to have any chat with Owen. If he was going to say that he was going to pick her up for lunch, she was going to decline. She could not deal with any more Hunts, today. She knew she had to answer because he would keep calling if she did not.

She took a deep breath in before she answered. "Hello, Owen," she said, calmly.

"Hey there, baby," Owen said. He sounded happy.

"What's up?" she asked, continuing in an even tone.

"Just wanted to let you know that I probably wouldn't be able to see you this week," he said. "We have all these preparations to do before the wedding on Sunday. So I just want to let you know that I am not neglecting you."

"No, it is perfectly alright," she said. "I totally understand." This was working out fine for her. She didn't have to see Owen for the week.

"I am sorry about this, baby but I am swamped here with the wedding preparations and running the farm," he said. "Today, I have to talk to someone about putting up a tent for the wedding. It has been non-stop."

"Well, you just take care of everything. You don't have to worry about me," Cristina said.

"You can still call me, whenever you want," he said. "I still want to hear your voice."

"Okay," she said but she knew the chances of her calling him were slim to none. "If I need you, I will call." She was certainly not going to need him this week, she thought.

"So the next time I will see you will probably be on the wedding day," Owen said. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, no," she said. "You just do what you have to do."

"Well, okay then. Bye, baby," Owen said. "I love you."

"Good bye, Owen," she said. Then she hung up. He noticed that she had not said that she loved him back. That was strange. Since they had got back together, they had fallen back into their old habit of saying "I love you" before they hung up. He dismissed the thought from his mind, since he had so many things to do.

It was blissfully quiet for the rest of the week as she did not deal with any more Hunts. She did not call Owen but he did call her and every time, she was on the phone with him, she was achingly polite. He started to sense something was wrong because Cristina seemed guarded in their conversations. Still, she denied that anything was wrong.

She had briefly considered not going to the wedding but she decided she had to go because everyone in town was going to the wedding. Since everyone knew she was pregnant with a Hunt baby, it would look strange that she was not going to the wedding of the baby's grandmother. And then all of the gossip would start - a situation she did not want.

* * *

><p>The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear. Owen looked out of his window. The tent was up, ready for the reception. The wedding ceremony was actually going to be held in the church in Huntsville. Reverend Johnson was going to conduct the ceremony. He also remembered he had to pick up Cristina for the wedding, which was going to be at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, followed by the reception at the farm. Still, there were still a few minor niggling details to take care of. It was going to be a busy day.<p>

At 3 p.m., he was headed into town. His mom and Charlotte had stayed in Huntsville at the local hotel, so that they would be closer to the church. He called Cristina that he was coming for her. "Hey, Cristina, I am heading into town, now for the wedding. I am going to be there in a bit, so I hope you're ready."

"Oh," she said. "I thought you were going to be too busy for that, so I made other arrangements. They are coming for me in a bit," she said.

"Who's coming for you?" he asked.

"Mr. Avery and Jackson. They asked on Friday how I was getting to the wedding and they said they would come and pick me up," she replied.

"Oh," he said. "That was nice of them."

"So you go ahead and do what you have to do," she said. "I will be fine."

"Okay," he said. "I will see you at the church."

"Yes," she said. "I will be there. Bye, Owen."

"Bye, Cristina, I love you," he said. He heard her hang up the phone.

Cristina, Jackson and his grandfather, Harper arrived at the church at 3.45 p.m. A lot of people had arrived before them and they were lucky to find a pew nearer the back of the church. Harper was surprised that Cristina was going to join them in their pew.

"Aren't you going to join the Hunts at the front?" Harper asked. He found it strange that she was not going to do so.

She looked at him, directly in the eyes and said, "My baby may be a Hunt but I am not a Hunt. I sit where I want."

Harper raised his eyebrows at her response. "Well, okay, then. You are welcome to sit with Jackson and me," he said.

"Thank you, sir," Cristina said. She sat in between Mr. Avery and Jackson. She looked around the church. There was a low chatter in the church, as everyone seemed really excited to be at the wedding. Meredith and Sheriff Shepherd were already there. The sheriff did not look too happy. Meredith seemed animated enough for the both of them. Owen was nowhere in sight. He probably was busy with his mom. It was just as well, she thought.

The murmurings in the church were finally hushed when the organ music started. Owen and his mom appeared at the entrance and went down the aisle. Mrs. Hunt was wearing the ivory brocade suit and matching hat that she had bought in Des Moines. Owen was dressed in the navy suit. He did look very handsome, Cristina had to admit.

At the top of the aisle, he handed over his mother to Dr. Webber and went to sit next to his sister. He was surprised to see that Charlotte was alone, sitting in the pew, reserved for the bride's family.

"Where is Cristina?" he asked Charlotte. She looked at him and said, "I don't know. I haven't seen her."

"She is supposed to be sitting up here with us," Owen said. Instead of paying attention to the proceedings, he looked around the church. He saw Meredith with the sheriff but Cristina was not sitting with them. It was then he saw the flash of ebony curls. He knew her hair, anywhere because there was no one else in Huntsville with those curls. She was sitting between Jackson and his grandfather. He could not see her properly because there was a woman with a large hat in the pew in front of her.

"I spotted her," Owen told Charlotte. "She is sitting with the Averys. Doesn't she know that she is supposed to sit up here with us?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. Since that day in Cristina's office, she had not seen Owen's girlfriend. The girl had not come over to the house for the entire week. All she had wanted to do was to give the girl a jolt of reality so that she would come to her senses and to take her brother's feelings into consideration. Charlotte hadn't expected the girl to pull back like this. She looked at her brother. He seemed agitated and unhappy. She sighed. What a mess she had made.

After the wedding ceremony, everyone headed to the farm for the reception. Cristina went with the Averys and sat at their table. After the speeches and toasts were over, Owen went looking for Cristina. She was supposed to be sitting at the Hunts' table. There was an empty place with her name at the front of it. His eyes searched the entire tent, until he spotted her at the Averys' table. What did she think she was doing? He went to her and softly whispered, "There is a place for you at my family's table. I would like you to come and sit there."

She turned and looked at him. "I am fine, here. Jackson will be bringing my food, soon. He is standing in the buffet line," Cristina said, pointing to her friend who had two plates in his hand.

"But you are supposed to be at my family's table," he said. "We set aside a place for you. Why didn't you sit in our pew for the wedding?"

"Why?" she asked. "I am not a Hunt." It was like if she stabbed him in the heart.

"You may not be a Hunt but you are still my family. What is wrong with you?" he asked. "Why are you behaving like this? Are you mad that I have not been able to see you all week? I explained that I was busy with the wedding preparations and the farm operations. If you are mad at that, I am sorry but it could not be helped. I now have the time to pay more attention to you. Now, come sit at my table."

"No, I am not mad at that," she said. "But I am mad at something else."

"What? What have I done?' he asked. He sat down in Jackson's chair next to her. He was totally puzzled.

"If you want to find out why I am mad, ask your sister," she said.

"Charlotte? What did she do?" Owen asked. "Did she say something?"

"Just ask your sister," Cristina said. "In the meantime, can you offer your mother and Dr. Webber my congratulations? Thanks. Oh, here is Jackson. You'll have to get up." Owen reluctantly got up and vacated Jackson's seat. Jackson quickly put the two plates down.

"I will be back, Cristina," Owen said. She nodded in acknowledgement.

He went back to his table and grabbed Charlotte's arm. "I need to see you, now."

"What?" Charlotte said.

"Don't tell me what. I need to speak to you, right now. Let's go outside and talk about this," he said, gesturing his hand over Cristina's empty chair.

"Oh," Charlotte said. She followed him out of the tent. "You've talked to her, I guess," Charlotte said.

"Yes, what did you say to her? She's totally withdrawn from me. She says I should talk to you," Owen said.

"Okay, I guess it is my fault. I went to see her, earlier in the week. I told her to get her act together and to start thinking about other people. That it was time for her to grow up and to stop acting like an independent unit," she said. "I wanted her to take your feelings into consideration. I wanted her to make that step and commit to you. I know you desperately want to be with her. I know you want her here with you on the farm."

Owen sighed. "Charlotte, I know you mean well but there is something you have to understand about Cristina. She is very stubborn. The more you push her, the more she pulls away. She needs to make her own decisions. Nobody can push her to make them."

"There's more," Charlotte confessed. "I told her that I knew everything."

Owen groaned. "No wonder she shut down on me. She hates when people talk about her private life. She must be so mad at me."

"I am sorry, Owen. I made things worse for you," Charlotte admitted. "If you want, I will apologize to her, if it will make things better."

"Maybe that would help. I have to apologize, too, because I discussed our private life with you. She seems very upset with me," he said. "She clearly stated that with her actions – not sitting in our pew or at our table. She told me that she is not a Hunt and therefore, there was no need for her to sit or eat with us."

"Okay, I will apologize," Charlotte said. "Let's go find her." They went back into the tent and looked across at the Averys' table. Mr. Avery was there but not Cristina. She was gone.

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><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thank you for your reviews. I do appreciate reading all of them.**


	24. Chapter 24 Apologies

Owen and Charlotte went up to the Averys' table. Mr. Avery was chatting with his friends but there were two empty seats next to him. Neither Cristina nor Jackson was there.

"Mr. Avery, where is Cristina?" Owen asked, hoping she had just gone to the bathroom and had not disappeared with Jackson.

"Oh, the young lady said she was not feeling well, so Jackson drove her back to her cottage," Harper said. "Jackson should be back in a little bit."

Owen did not really care whether Jackson would be back. He was a little worried that Cristina was not feeling well. He and Charlotte headed back to the Hunts' table, where Owen went up to his mom.

"Mom, I am going to leave the reception for a bit," he said. "Apparently, Cristina is not feeling well and Jackson took her home. I am going to check on her."

"Okay, son. It is a good idea to check on her. Tell me how she is doing when you get back," Susannah said. Charlotte looked at her brother, sympathetically, as he left the tent. This was such a mess and she knew she was responsible. She wanted to apologize to Cristina. She had just made things so much worse for Owen. It was more than likely that Cristina would not be moving in with Owen at the farm and he was going to be alone, when Charlotte left to go back to her job and their mom moved into her new husband's home. She just hated the idea of him being alone.

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><p>Jackson had just dropped off Cristina at her cottage. After uttering her thanks, she went into the cottage, kicked off her shoes and went straight to her bedroom. She took off her dress and pulled on her pajamas and lay on her bed. It wasn't true that she wasn't feeling well. She was just feeling tired but she feigned illness as an excuse to be leave the reception. She knew Owen was going to come back, as she had seen Owen take Charlotte outside for a chat and he would find out about the conversation she and Charlotte had with each other.<p>

She figured this would be a best time to make her exit as she knew he was going to come back. She didn't feel the need to have it out in front of everyone. So she asked Jackson to take her home, so she could get some peace and quiet in her darkened, cool room, far away from the Hunts and all of their pressures. Relieved to be away from it all, she closed her eyes.

On his way to Cristina's cottage, Owen noticed that Jackson's car was heading back to the reception. "Good," he said, aloud to himself. Jackson had not stayed with Cristina, much to Owen's relief.

He got there to Cristina's cottage and knocked on the door. She reluctantly opened her eyes. Who could it be? Every possible person in Huntsville was at the reception. She wondered if it was Meredith, who had forgotten her key. Why was it that Meredith could never remember that the spare key was in the sixth plant pot on the right? She sighed, as she reluctantly got out from under her covers. She was going to give Meredith a piece of her mind for making her get up from her nice, comfy bed.

She opened the door. "Meredith!" But it wasn't Meredith; it was Owen. "Owen? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your mother's reception?" she said.

"Yes, I should be there but Mr. Avery told me you were not feeling well, so I came to check up on you," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, as she let him into the cottage.

"Um, the truth is not that I wasn't feeling well, I was just feeling a little tired," Cristina said. "So I am pretty much fine. I just wanted to take a rest. So you don't have to worry about me. I am okay."

"But I do worry about you, Cristina," Owen said. "You're pregnant and I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby."

"Okay," she said. "That is nice of you to care but I can assure you that I am alright, so you can go back to the reception and have a great time."

"I won't," he said, softly.

"You won't what?" she responded.

"I won't have a great time because you are not there," he said. "And for your information, the reason I care for you is not because I am nice. I love you and that is why I care. Stop trying to push me away."

She sat down in an armchair and he sat down in the couch opposite her. He looked at her, "I know you have been trying to push me away all day. So don't try and deny it."

She said nothing because she knew it was true.

"I spoke to Charlotte and she told me what had transpired between the two of you," he said. "Now while Charlotte had my best interest at heart, she went about it the wrong way. She is very sorry and would like to apologize. In fact, if you had not gone home from the reception, she was going to apologize."

Still, Cristina said nothing. What about your role in the whole thing, she thought. Owen had opened his big mouth and told Charlotte everything.

He waited for some sort of reaction from her but none was forthcoming. So he continued, "I know you're not only mad at Charlotte, you are also mad at me for telling Charlotte about what had happened between the two of us, since you found out you were pregnant."

Cristina let out a breath but still, she was silent.

"I am very sorry about that," he said. "I needed someone to talk to about the situation. Charlotte has been my confidante since we were children. I know you are a very private person and that I stepped over the line when I told Charlotte about everything. I just didn't expect her to react that way and come to you like that."

Cristina looked at him. "Okay," she said.

"That's it?" he asked. "Okay what? Do you mean that you have forgiven me?" He knew with Cristina, it was not that simple.

"Okay, I have listened to your explanation," she said. "Thanks for the apology. You can leave if you want, now."

"No, I don't want to leave," he scoffed. "Gosh, Cristina, you make it so difficult. I am here, apologizing. I did wrong, I know that. Talk to me. Just don't send me on my way without much of a conversation about it."

"What do you want, Owen?" Cristina said, exasperated.

"I want you to say you forgive me. I want you to come back to the reception. I want us to be together. I want you to tell me that you are moving into the farm with me. Those are things that I want," he said.

"That last one – that's not going to happen," she said.

"What? Moving into the farm with me?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, I did promise you an answer today, didn't I? The answer, I guess, is no."

"Why?" he said, his voice broke as he said it.

"Why? Why? Because your family will never leave me alone. At least, here in the cottage, I have my own private little hideaway. If I am at the farm, I would never hear the end of it. I would be on their territory and there would be nowhere to hide. They keep pressuring me to do right by you. They visit me at work and tell me that I am self-centered and immature. You know what? That's fine. They can think whatever they want about me. It doesn't matter," she said. "I can stay here at the cottage and be as selfish as they think I am."

"I am sorry. My mother and sister think they are helping me. They want what is best for me and they know that you are best for me. They know that I love you very much," he said. "They want me to be happy and you make me happy. But it looks like I don't make you happy." He looked very desolate as he said it.

"You do make me happy, Owen," she said. "I just don't think I will fit in well with your family because I am obviously lacking in the qualities that they wish to see in your potential mate."

"What are you saying?" he said. "Are you trying to break up with me and using my family as an excuse for it?"

"It's not an excuse. You know the old saying that when you marry a guy, you marry his entire family," she said. "That's how I feel, right now. It is not just you. It's you, your mom, your sister, and to some extent, it is Dr. Webber, too. I do remember he was the one who spilled the beans about me being pregnant. It's not just about us, anymore."

Owen was at a loss for words. He could not believe that this was happening. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Finally, he found his voice.

"This is not how this day was supposed to go," he said. "This was supposed to be a happy day for the Hunts. My mom gets married and starts a new life. You were supposed to tell me that you were going to move into the farm with me so, we too, could start a new life. That is how it was supposed to go. This was supposed to be a happy day for me." He raked his hands through his hair in frustration.

She felt bad that she was hurting him. She knew that she loved him but she could not live with the constant interference of his family into their lives.

She offered him a small consolation. "If it makes you feel any better, I forgive you for telling Charlotte about us. I know you probably needed to talk to someone, like I do with Meredith. So, I forgive you."

"Thanks for that," he said. "At least, that is something." He looked up at her, with pleading eyes. "This can't end like this. Tell me what to do."

She got up and took his face in her hands. "You already know what you have to do. It's whether you are willing to do it. They are your family." He nodded. He did know what needed to be done.

"Okay," he said. He got up and opened the door. "You do know that I will be back. This is not over. We are not over." She understood. He was not going to give up on her. That was one of the things she loved about him. Yes, she did love him but she couldn't live a life where she was under constant scrutiny and pressure from the Hunt women. It was supposed to be about them as a couple. It was also about the new life they were going to bring into the world. Instinctively, she touched her bump. Feeling it brought her some measure of comfort as she went back to her bed.

* * *

><p>He drove back to the reception, pondering what he was going to say to his family. He was ready to have the talk with them, only to find the place in an uproar. Everyone seemed to be buzzing.<p>

He went straight to his mother's table. "What happened?" he asked Charlotte. He noticed his mother resting her head on Dr. Webber's shoulder. "Why did he have to do it here?" she said. "He just ruined my wedding day. Now that is all everyone will remember from this day."

Charlotte said, "Well, it seems that Sheriff Shepherd took this inopportune time to make an arrest in the murder of the Mayor. He just arrested her and he took her down to the sheriff's office."

"Who is her?" Owen said.

"Deputy Kepner," Charlotte said. "Now ain't that a hoot."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. If you enjoy my work, I would appreciate if you could leave your thoughts. Thank you.**


	25. Chapter 25 Time to back off

Meredith burst into Cristina's room, without knocking. She shook her friend to wake her up.

"Wake up, Cristina, wake up," Meredith said. Cristina woke up and gave her a friend a mean glare.

"What the hell, Meredith? I'm having a nice dream, where I am lying on the beach with some tanned, muscular guy named Raoul, who's bringing me drinks with umbrellas in them. And best of all, I am slim and trim, with no baby bump," Cristina said. "What is so important that you have to wake me up?"

"Oh, my God. So much has happened. You left the wedding reception early so you don't know what happened," Meredith said.

"What? What happened? Did somebody get hurt again? Please don't tell me that Owen got hurt," Cristina said, getting concerned. She and Owen were having their problems but she still loved him.

"No, no. He wasn't even there when it happened. He disappeared for an hour or so and that was when it all went down," Meredith said.

"You're killing me with suspense," Cristina said.

"Derek made an arrest in Mayor Jennings' murder, right there at the wedding," Meredith shrieked.

"Wow, oh, wow," Cristina said. "Who was it?"

"Just guess. You will never in a million years think it was that person," Meredith said, excitedly.

"I am just going to name people and you are going to stop me when I say the name. Teddy Altman, Miranda Bailey, Mark Sloan, Callie Torres, Dr. O'Malley, Olivia, Patricia, Dr. Webber, Mrs. Jennings, Alex Karev, Izzie Karev, Bokhee, Reed Adamson?" Cristina said. Meredith kept shaking her head, as she said each name.

"Gosh I am running out of people, here," Cristina said. "Just tell me."

"Deputy April Kepner," Meredith said. "Who would have thought that?" Cristina's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Kepner? Kepner?" Cristina repeated. "I can't believe that. She has been working with Derek on the case, since the murder."

"Yes, and that is the kicker. Because she had access to all of the evidence, she was able to doctor the photographic and the video evidence. She deleted all of the photographs of her and the Mayor having an argument and of her, being near his table. She also managed to doctor the video, too. Derek managed to get new copies of the memory card from the photographer and the videographer, yesterday and he spent all of last night, going through the footage and the photographs. And there she was, when she wasn't there before."

"But how did he suspect her?" Cristina asked.

"Remember Henry Burton, the mysterious note-sender," Meredith asked.

"Yeah," Cristina said. Who could forget the friendly neighborhood mechanic, who turned out to have an inside track on the case?

"Well, it seems that Henry knew that Kepner was the mystery woman, who was having the affair with the Mayor. The Mayor had gone to Henry's mechanic shop to have his tires re-balanced and he noticed a photo of Kepner and the mayor in the back seat of the car. They were acting very cozy, pool-side of some fancy hotel which was definitely not in Huntsville. Kepner was wearing a teeny-weeny bikini and she was sitting in the mayor's lap. He knew that everyone was suspicious of Teddy Altman and you know he has that crush on her and he wanted Derek to take a look at Kepner," Meredith said.

"That's why he didn't want anyone to know what Henry had revealed," Cristina said. "That's why he kept saying that it was sensitive. He had to keep everything close to his chest because she was working in the same office as him. What was her motive?"

"Well, you know that Mayor Jennings was a major philanderer. He was sleeping with Teddy before he got married to Gloria Karev, then he had that affair with his secretary, Reed Adamson. Plus there were rumors that he was involved with another woman, who turned out to be Kepner. Apparently, Kepner wanted him to leave his wife, so they could be together. Even though the mayor is a player, it seems that he was still loyal to Gloria and was not going to leave his wife. It seems that Kepner did not take that news, too easily and she acquired the poison just before the wedding," Meredith said. "She gave him one more chance at the wedding but he turned her down. That sealed his fate."

"Wow," Cristina said. "Why did Sheriff Shepherd arrest her at the wedding?"

"Well, he was so sour during the wedding. I wondered what was going on with him. He was going to hold off, arresting her, until after the wedding but he saw her flirting with Mark Sloan at the reception. You know the guy, who owns the gas station? That's when he made the decision to arrest here, right there and then," Meredith said. "Everyone was in shock."

"I can well imagine. That's awful for Mrs. Hunt, I mean Mrs. Webber that it happened at the wedding. She must be in a state," Cristina said.

"Well, I did see her crying on her husband's shoulder," Meredith said.

"How about Owen?" Cristina said. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. He did have that tortured, worried look," Meredith said. "Anyway, that was my one piece of news. I have another piece of news and I am not sure how you are going to take it."

"Oh, God, you're getting me scared here," Cristina said.

"No, it is nothing that you should be scared about. Before all of the excitement happened, Derek asked me to get engaged and to move in with him," Meredith said. "And I said yes. I guess the wedding inspired him."

"Wow, I am so happy for you," Cristina said, giving her friend a tight hug. "Where's the ring?"

"I don't have one as yet. We're going up to Des Moines to get one. I am just worried about you, alone in the cottage," Meredith said. "You being pregnant and all."

"It's okay," Cristina said. "Don't worry about me. If I need help, everyone is just a phone call away. This is great news. Did you call your parents?"

"Yup," Meredith said. "They always thought I was a wild child and I would never settle down. Who knew that it would take a sheriff in a small town for me to settle down?"

"So when are you moving out?" Cristina asked.

"This week," Meredith said, with an apologetic tone in her voice.

"Don't feel bad, Meredith. With you gone, I could dance around naked, here, if I want," Cristina said. Meredith chuckled. The two friends hugged, again.

* * *

><p>It was early the next morning. Dr. Webber and Susannah had stayed at the farm, after the reception. It was the last night that Susannah was going to stay at the farm. The newlyweds were going off on a honeymoon cruise of the Caribbean and were flying out of Des Moines today to Miami, where they were going to pick up the cruise. Owen wanted to speak to his family about Cristina before they left. Charlotte, too, was leaving tomorrow to pick up her job, once again.<p>

As they gathered for breakfast that morning, Owen started, "I am so glad that everyone is here. I need to speak to you about Cristina."

"How is the girl?" Susannah asked. "You said she wasn't feeling well, yesterday and she left the reception, early. It's just as well she wasn't there with all of the nasty business with that deputy getting arrested."

"Yes," Owen said. "Well, she's doing alright. I went to see her, yesterday. She was just feeling tired. I am also glad that she wasn't there when the arrest took place."

"So when is she moving in?" Dr. Webber asked. Charlotte stared at her fingernails. She was aware of the mess she had made because of her little "chat" with Cristina. She hadn't meant any harm but rather was hoping it would give the girl a push in her brother's direction. She braced herself to hear Owen's next words.

"No, she is not moving in," Owen said, in a flat tone, trying his best not to show the emotional turmoil that he was feeling inside. Charlotte cringed.

"Oh, no," Susannah said. "Is there anything we can do?" She was concerned that her son was going to be alone at the farm.

"I think you and Charlotte have done a little too much," Owen said. "In fact, she broke up with me."

There was an audible gasp from Charlotte. She never expected this. "She broke up with you? Is it because of the conversation I had with her?"

Owen nodded. "Yes, Charlotte, but it is not just you. It is also Mom, too. I know the both of you mean well and you want the best for me but you have both been going about it the wrong way."

"We've only been trying to help," Susannah said. "We know how much you love the girl."

"Yes, Mom, but there is something you have to understand about Cristina. You can never push her into making a decision, especially when you want her to go in a certain direction. Cristina is quite stubborn. She makes her own decisions and takes her own time to do it. The more you force her, the more she pulls away from you. And right now, she is doing that. She has withdrawn from me," Owen said.

"I am so sorry," Charlotte said. "So, so sorry." She felt like crying.

"So what do you want us to do?" Susannah asked.

"Give her some space, give her some time. You have to back off. Let her come to her own decision about being with me. I want her to come back to me but it has to be her decision. The only consolation I have is that I know that she loves me," Owen said. "I am, at least, certain of that."

"We can do that," Susannah said.

"But that's not all," Owen said. "When Cristina moves in here and note I said 'when' and not 'if', this becomes her home. She is the mistress of this house, Mom. You have moved on to another house. She has to feel comfortable living here. You can't come back and dictate what you want. She needs to feel that she can do what she likes to this place. I want her to be able to do so. This is where, I desperately hope, that our baby will be raised and not a tiny cottage on the edge of town."

It took a lot for Owen to say this. He was normally a quiet, reflective man and usually allowed his boisterous mother to have her way. But this was something that was very important to him. He needed to say this, not only for himself, but also for Cristina. It was for his own family.

"Okay, son," Susannah said. "I agree. I will not be the overbearing mother-in-law type. Note I said 'mother-in-law' because I expect that there will be another wedding in the Hunt family."

"I want that, too, Mom," Owen said. "Thank you. Charlotte, you haven't said anything much?"

"I know it is because of me that your life is such a mess, right now. I am sorry. Do you think that Cristina will accept my apology?" Charlotte asked. "I don't want to over-step my boundaries, again."

"I think Cristina will accept an apology from you," Owen said. "Just don't try and tell her what to do."

"Okay," Charlotte agreed.

"Well, we better be headed out to the airport," Dr. Webber said.

"Yes, yes," Susannah said. She kissed her son and her daughter goodbye.

"Have a great time, Mom," Owen said. "Safe trip." He hugged his mother and shook his new step-father's hand.

"I will, son," Susannah said. She took Dr. Webber's arm and they walked out to his car on the driveway. Owen and Charlotte waved goodbye from the porch, as they drove away.

* * *

><p>Cristina sank down in her office chair. She bit into the bagel that Jackson had left for her. She wished he had left two of them; she was so hungry. She sipped her tea. There was a knock on her door.<p>

"Oh, good grief," she thought. "Who could be here this early?" She cleared her throat and put aside her breakfast.

"Come in," she said, wiping her mouth, in case there were crumbs. The door swung open. It was Charlotte.

Inwardly, Cristina groaned. Not again, she thought. She plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Good morning, Charlotte," Cristina said. "How are you?"

"Not so well, Cristina. I heard that because of me, you broke up with my brother," Charlotte said. Her eyes were filling with tears.

"Oh," Cristina said. She noticed Charlotte's teary eyes and was very surprised to see them.

"I came here to apologize, Cristina. Please forgive me," Charlotte said.

Cristina said nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thank you for your comments. I really appreciate them.**


	26. Chapter 26 Living alone

Cristina knew that Charlotte expected her to say something. She leaned back in her chair.

"Thank you for offering your apology, Charlotte," Cristina said. There, she thought, that sounded generic enough. She wasn't yet ready to forgive Charlotte but she had to acknowledge the gesture. She wondered if it was being done in good faith.

"Cristina, please don't let whatever I have done or said, affect your relationship with Owen," Charlotte pleaded. "Please don't take it out on Owen."

"Owen knows what I feel about him," Cristina said. "As far as I am concerned, he is the father of my child and will receive all of his rights."

That was cold, Charlotte thought. Cristina was referring to Owen, only in relation to the baby and not in terms of their relationship.

"If you don't mind, Charlotte, I have a lot of work to do, today. Thank you, again, for your apology," Cristina said, hoping to end this conversation and have Owen's sister leave her office.

"Okay," Charlotte said. "Goodbye." As she closed the office door behind her, Charlotte realized that while Cristina had thanked her for apology, she never really said that she forgave her.

Charlotte went back to the farm and found Owen, working on the farm's accounts on the kitchen table. "Hey, Owen," she said. "I went into town and saw Cristina." Owen looked up, interestedly.

"I hope you didn't make it worse," Owen said.

"No, I don't think so," Charlotte said. "I offered my apology, she said thanks but she didn't really say if she accepted my apology or if she forgave me. I am sorry, Owen."

"That's okay. At least you told her you were sorry," Owen said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I can see how she has withdrawn from you," Charlotte said. "I told her not to let my words affect her relationship with you. She told me that you were the father of the baby and you had full rights. She didn't really say anything about your relationship."

Owen nodded, sadly. He had betrayed Cristina's trust by revealing some of her innermost secrets to his sister. Even though she said she had forgiven him, he knew it had hurt her, badly. His relationship with Cristina was now a work in progress.

* * *

><p>When Cristina went home that evening, she found Meredith and Derek packing up her friend's personal belongings.<p>

"So it is really happening," Cristina said. "You're moving out."

Meredith looked at her friend, apologetically. "It's okay, Meredith, you don't have to feel bad," Cristina said.

"It's just that we have always lived together," Meredith said. "All of our adult life."

"Yeah, well, we all have to grow up, some time and move on with our lives," Cristina said. "I am now forced to be grown up, now, because of this little one." She touched her stomach.

"About that," Meredith said. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. I will be at your beck and call."

"Thanks, Meredith," Cristina said. Derek came back into the cottage, "Meredith, I think that that was it. We can go, now."

Meredith ran to Cristina and gave her a tight hug. "Meredith, you're just moving out. We can still see each other, every day. We have no choice; this is a small town."

When Meredith and Derek left, Cristina had to admit that it felt a little bit lonely to be by herself. She stopped herself from calling Owen. She knew if she called him, he would come, immediately. Somehow, she felt it was better this way. She had a quiet night at home, made herself some soup and went to bed, early.

Owen lay in his bed, wondering whether to call her. He didn't want to seem too pushy. He was giving her some space. If she called, he would go. He knew that. He stared at the phone but it was silent.

* * *

><p>The next day, Owen dropped off Charlotte at the airport in Des Moines and headed straight into town. He was now a single man, living alone and now, he had to do his own grocery shopping. His mother had always taken care of shopping for the household.<p>

He was standing in front of the meat section, when he heard Meredith's voice. He turned around, immediately. If Meredith was there, then surely Cristina would not be too far behind. After all, they lived together and would probably do their grocery shopping together. But Meredith was not chatting with Cristina. She was with Derek.

"Hey, Meredith," Owen said. "Is Cristina with you?"

"No," Meredith said. "We're just shopping for ourselves. I moved in to Derek's yesterday and found out that his cupboards are bare."

"Come on, I was a single man, living alone for many years," Derek protested. "I never had need for much stuff, given that I could just grab a meal in the diner, whenever I am working late. It's only because you moved in, we're here shopping."

"You moved in with Derek?" Owen asked, surprised. Cristina had not told him anything about this. With Meredith living with the sheriff, that meant Cristina was living by herself. It was a situation that he did not like.

"Yes," Meredith confirmed.

"Thanks for telling me," he said. He needed to speak to the mother of his child. He finished off his grocery shopping and decided to give Cristina a visit. He knocked on her office door.

"Come in," he heard her say.

He pushed open the door, as she looked up. "Oh, hi, Owen," she said. "What are you doing in town?"

"Doing some grocery shopping," he said. "Mom went off on her honeymoon cruise and Charlotte went back to her job, so I am living alone at the farm and I have to do all of the household shopping, now."

"Ah, yes," she said. "You're living the life of a bachelor." Owen felt that this was the perfect moment for Cristina to share the fact that she, too, was living alone in the cottage. But she chose not to reveal this. He wondered why.

"I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner, tonight," he said, hopefully. "I have all of these groceries, now and it's hard to cook for one person."

Cristina hesitated a bit, before she answered. She really didn't have plans. It wasn't like she could go out anywhere in a town like this, and with Meredith gone, it was just going to be her eating a frozen food dinner for one.

"Um, okay," she said. It would be nice to go out to the farm for a change of scenery, she thought, instead of being her little cottage, all alone.

"Wonderful," he said. "I will pick you up at 6.30 p.m."

"Okay," she said. "Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem," he said. "I will see you, later."

* * *

><p>Promptly at 6.30 p.m., he showed up at the cottage. She had a little trouble getting into the truck because of her stomach, so he helped her up. He made a note to himself to pick up her up in a different vehicle, the next time.<p>

As he got in, he noticed that it was a new outfit. "New dress, huh? You look lovely," he said.

"Thanks," she said. "I started ordering some maternity clothes from the catalogs for myself. I wanted some stylish clothes. I didn't want to look like a fat frump."

"Is Meredith at home?" Owen asked. He was giving her the opportunity to tell him that she lived alone. She neatly skirted around the question by responding, "No, Meredith is at the sheriff's house." He noted that she still was not willing to admit the change in her living circumstances.

"Is she staying over there for the night?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. She was telling him the absolute truth, she thought. It was true that Meredith was at the sheriff's house and she was staying the night. She was not guilty of lying, just of omission.

It was a quiet drive to the farm. Several times, Owen glanced over at Cristina. She was staring out of the window, her hands resting on her stomach. When they say that pregnant women had a pregnancy glow, they were right. Her skin looked luminous and her dark hair looked even shinier and curlier. She noticed him watching her.

"What?" she said, feeling a little self-conscious.

"You just look beautiful," he said, with a smile.

"Thank you for that. I don't feel beautiful, these days," she said. "Just feel bloated and fat."

"No, you're beautiful and nobody can tell you any different," he said. She smiled back at him.

When they got to the farm, he helped her out of the truck and held her hand, as they walked to the front porch. She stopped to pet Owen's golden retriever. "Hey, boy, how have you been?" she said. "I haven't seen you in a while." The dog licked her hand.

As they got into the house, she said, "I better go wash my hands."

"Yeah, just meet in the dining room," he said. When she returned from the bathroom and entered the dining room, she was taken aback by how pretty it was. He had put up flowers so the room smelled freshly fragrant and in the middle of the dining room was a cozy, candlelit table.

"You removed the big table and put this in for us," she said.

"Yes," he replied. "That big table was too large for just the two of us. I just wanted a smaller table, so we could be closer together." He pulled out the chair for her and she gratefully sat down. "You know I have never been so thankful for seats, since I got pregnant." She looked at the food. "Wow, Owen, you did this by yourself. It's almost like your mom did this." He had prepared chicken cordon bleu, asparagus spears and rice pilaf with an appetizer of potato leek soup.

"Yes," he said. "I hope you enjoy it."

"I certainly will," she said. "All I had yesterday was some soup that I got from a can."

"You can always come here to break bread with me," he said.

"Thanks," Cristina said, as she savored the potato leek soup. They spent the next hour, consuming everything and chatting in between, though in reality, it was more about the consuming.

After dinner, they sat in the living room and Owen offered to make some tea before he took her home. When he came back with the two cups of tea, he found her fast asleep on the couch. She looked so peaceful. He pondered whether to wake her up but in the end, he decided to take her up to one of the guest rooms. As he placed her on the bed, he removed her shoes and tucked her under the covers. He put one of his t-shirts in the room, in case she got up in the middle of the night and wanted to change out of her dress. He also put a new toothbrush in the bathroom for her use. He took one final look at her, before he went downstairs to tidy up and then retire for the night.

He brushed his teeth and then lay back in his bed, thinking about the woman in the room next door to him. She was so close and yet, so far. He wanted her so badly but he knew he could not touch her. He fell asleep and started having wild, erotic dreams about the dark haired woman that he loved. He was so into it that he thought he was still dreaming, when he first heard the knock on his door.

But then he heard the knock a second and a third time. He shook himself from sleep and groggily walked to the door. He opened the door and there stood Cristina, dressed in his old t-shirt.

"Cristina, do you need….?" he started. But he could not finish his sentence, as she launched herself against himself, grabbing his face between her small hands and claiming his lips with her own. He responded immediately, kissing her back with a fierceness that matched her own. He was drunk with the taste of her mouth on him. Her kisses had that intoxicating effect on him. She pushed him towards the bed, as she stripped off her t-shirt to reveal a nude body underneath it. He gasped at the sight of her, as he felt the roundness of her stomach. He had already been hard from his sexual dreams but the thought of her carrying his child, stiffened him even further.

She pulled off his pajama pants and was gratified to see that he was already fully erect. It turned her on, even more, as she positioned herself on him, lowering her body on to him and allowing him to enter her, encircling him with her warm, slippery wetness.

He held on to her hips as she worked herself on top of him. It was fast, frenzied and wild, as she pounded her body against him, pushing his cock deeper inside of her. He could see the sweat dripping between her breasts and falling against his chest. Usually, it was her, who screamed when she came but this time, it was him. It was perhaps the sweetest release, as he exploded his seed inside of her.

She rested against him, her head on his chest with his member still inside of her. He wrapped his arms around her, as she lay there. He kissed the top of her head. For a while, neither of them said anything.

He was surprised that she would come to him like this, especially since she had withdrawn from him.

"Cristina, what's going on here?" he asked, a little apprehensive to find out her answer.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Thanks for the reviews.**


	27. Chapter 27 A decision made

She gazed up at him, with a strange look in her eyes. "I….I don't know, Owen," she said. She got up, picked up her discarded t-shirt and ran into the next room.

"Cristina!" he called out after her. He got up and contemplated whether to put back his discarded pj bottoms on. He then realized it was only the two of them in the house, so he could be as naked as he wanted to be. His mother wasn't around to be offended by him. He didn't bother with the pjs and just went into the next room. She had curled up under the covers. He joined her under the covers and pulled her closer to him, turning her to face him.

"I just want to know what is going on between the two of us. You say we've broken up but yet, you come to me and make love to me. It's like you're giving me mixed signals. I want to be with you, more than anything. So what does this mean? Are we back together?" he asked, with pleading eyes. "I did what you asked. I told my mother and my sister to step back and not interfere. They promised that they would."

"You did that?" she asked. "How did they take it?"

"Rather well, I thought," he said. "They are going to leave us to find our way back to each other, if that is what you want."

She was quiet and kissed him, gently this time, not with the aggressiveness she had earlier displayed.

"Owen, you know that I love you," she said.

"Yes," he said. "It is what keeps me going. That and our baby. They are what I hold on to; it gives me hope that our family will be together in the end."

"It's what I want, too," she said. "But I still have doubts."

"Doubts? About me? About my family?" he asked. "About our future?"

"No, about me," she said. "I don't know if I can do this. I wonder if I could be a good mother. I am not actually the best mother material. I don't have that maternal instinct. Hell, my first instinct was to get an abortion."

"But you didn't do it. We all have our doubts about whether we can be good parents. We can only know if we try. I do know that you will care and love this baby as much as I do and from that, we can both learn to be good parents," he said, trying to encourage her.

"I also think that I won't be a good partner," she said. "I have always been independent and stubborn. I've only had to think about myself. Being a good mate, spouse, partner means that you have to think about another person's feelings. It won't just be about me, anymore. It's going to be about us. We – you and me – will be making decisions, together, as a couple, as parents, as a family. I don't know if I will be good at that, either."

"Oh, Cristina, you give yourself less credit that you should," he said. "Yes, you are independent and you are stubborn but you're not selfish. You've lived with Meredith your entire adult life. Didn't you have to make decisions with her, regarding your living situation on a regular basis?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's true but being a good partner is more than just being a good roommate," Cristina countered.

"Yes, I know that," he said. "There are deeper feelings involved and the possibility of hurting each other is very real. But I think the love that we share counters all of that. I see a wonderful future for us, Cristina."

She snuggled against him. "Can I ask you a question?" he said. She mumbled, "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me that Meredith had moved out and is now living with the sheriff? Why didn't you tell me that you were now living by yourself? I think it is something that I would have liked to have known. I worry about you all of the time," he said.

"How did you find out?" Cristina asked.

"I met Meredith and Derek at the mercantile, shopping for groceries, yesterday. They were shopping for their household," he said.

"Is that why you asked me to come to dinner yesterday? Because you knew I was alone?" she asked.

"Well, I was giving you the space and the time that you wanted but you being alone in that cottage was not a picture that I liked to have in my head," he said.

She stayed quiet for a minute. "So you're not asking me to move in with you?" she said, in a surprised voice.

"Cristina, you know that I want you to move in. But I only want you to move in when you're ready," he said. "I can't force you to come here. I want you to make that decision by yourself."

"Thank you," she said. He really was a good man, she thought. They lay together, wrapped in each other's arms, until they fell asleep.

The next day, he drove her back to the cottage, so she could get ready for work. The status quo remained over the next few weeks, with Cristina remaining in the cottage and Owen at the farm. They saw each other, frequently. He started coming into town at lunchtime to take her to lunch and he often slept over at the cottage. Things were starting to get good, once again, Owen thought. They were returning to the days of how they were, before she got pregnant. He was happy that they had reached a place where they were both content. He still wanted her to move into the farm but he wasn't going to push her.

* * *

><p>Dr. Webber and the new Mrs. Webber returned from their month-long honeymoonvacation. After the cruise, they had decided to do a little bit of traveling. One day, after his lunchtime visit with Cristina, Owen was surprised to find his mom at the farm. She and Dr. Webber were packing up all of her things to move them to her new house in town.

"Mom," Owen said, hugging her. "You look so tanned and relaxed."

"How are you, son?" she said. "Well, being away can do that for you. You look a little thin, son."

"I am okay," Owen said, as he hugged his stepfather. From the looks of things around the house, it was clear to Susannah that Cristina still had not moved in. She sighed. Her poor boy was living alone.

"So, no progress on Cristina?" she asked.

"On the contrary, Mom, I have made lots of progress," he said. "When last you saw us, we were broken up. Now, she sees me, every day for lunch and sometimes, I sleep over at the cottage."

"Ah, I am glad to hear that, son but no headway in her moving here," she said.

"No, not as yet. I am giving her space to make her decision," Owen said. "I just wish that she would agree because I don't like her living alone in the cottage. What if something happens to her and she can't get to the phone to call me?"

"What? She's living alone! What happened to her roommate, the other city girl, Meredith?" Susannah asked. She did not like the sound of this.

"Meredith moved in with the sheriff. They got engaged," Owen said.

"Oh, my. You're the one having the baby with your girlfriend but they are the ones, getting engaged," Susannah said. Owen knew that it bothered his mother, tremendously, that he and Cristina did not seem any closer to getting to the altar. "What, Cristina is now close to six months, now and soon, my grandbaby will be born and his parents aren't even married."

"Mom, lots of people have babies before they get married," Owen said. "There is no stigma attached to that, like it was in your time, Mom."

"Please, stop inferring that I am old," Susannah said. "It's just we did things the proper way. We courted, we got engaged, we got married and then we had babies."

"I think that's it, Susannah," Dr. Webber said, emerging from the back of the house. He carried out a box to his vehicle.

"Anyway, son, I have to go fix up Richard's house. It's in a state because he has been living alone, since Adele died," Susannah said. "I will see you, Owen. Feel free to drop by at any time."

"Okay, mom," he said, as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

><p>The next few days were busy ones for Susannah, as she settled into her new house. She had made many trips to the mercantile. She sometimes saw Cristina there. Other than a polite wave and greeting, she never ventured into engaging the young woman in any meaningful conversation. She was keeping her promise to her son that she was going to back off and not put in her two cents. She had seen Owen, coming into town to have lunch with his girlfriend, every day. She could see how his face lit up, whenever he saw the girl. Oh, the things she could say to that girl, Susannah thought. But she held her tongue and kept the peace.<p>

"There's your mom," Cristina said. They both waved at Susannah, who waved back. "She is here a lot since she moved into town."

"Well, she keeps telling me that Richard's house is lacking stuff," Owen asked. "I think she is just taking that as an excuse to go shopping."

"I don't blame her," Cristina said. "Shopping is a wonderful pastime." Owen took Cristina's hand and they walked to the diner.

"Oh, wow," Cristina said, suddenly. She stopped and felt the side of the stomach.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Cristina had the broadest smile on her face. "The baby kicked me," she said. "Ah, there he is doing it again. He's being doing it a lot, lately." She grabbed his hand to the spot. "Feel it, Owen." Owen felt the movement and it, too brought a smile to his face. "That is the most amazing thing, Cristina," Owen said. "My baby. No, **our** baby." He looked at her with the most euphoric expression. She touched his face and stroked his cheek. "Yes, Owen, our baby."

It was finally a moment of realization for Cristina. It had become clearer to her in that moment than ever before. She was finally ready for them to be a real family. She never knew she could love someone as much as she loved Owen. Though she didn't say anything, she knew what she was going to do.

Later that evening, she got Meredith and Derek to come over and they helped her pack her suitcases and her other personal belongings in boxes. They put everything in the car and drove her to the farm. It didn't seem like Owen was home. He was probably out on the farm. They unloaded her boxes and suitcases and left her on the porch to wait for him. She sat on the porch swing, while Owen's dog sat at her feet. They watched the sun set, together. It was so calming that she fell asleep for a bit.

When Owen got home, he found her, still asleep. He stroked the dog's head. He carried her suitcases and boxes inside the house. He sat next to her and woke her up.

"Cristina," he said, softly. She opened her eyes.

"Hey," she said. "I was waiting for you. I have my boxes and suitcases here. I am moving in." She looked around. "Where's everything?" she said, a bit puzzled.

"I moved everything into the house, already," he said. "You're the last item to be moved into the house. The last but the most important." He helped her up and put his arm around her as they walked through the front door.

They looked around. "This is your house, now," he said, with a sweeping movement of his hand.

"Not my house, it's **our** house," she said, as she reached up and claimed his lips with her own.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. Maybe a couple more chapters of this story. Thanks for your reviews. I do enjoy them.**


	28. Chapter 28 A baby's arrival

"Seriously, I don't know why you still went to work this week, when the baby is due next week," Owen said, as he dropped off Cristina for her last day of the mercantile, before she went off on maternity leave. "You should be home, resting."

"I just want to make sure that the two women who are holding on for me, are absolutely sure of everything that needs to be done," Cristina said, holding her large stomach. "But I am leaving early, today. Maybe lunchtime, so I can help you with the dinner. Have you confirmed with everybody?"

"You don't have to help with your birthday dinner, Cristina. I can handle it. And yes, I have confirmed with everyone that they are coming this evening at 6.30 p.m. Mom and Richard and Derek and Meredith all said yes they are coming to celebrate your 26th birthday with you," Owen said. "Just imagine our baby's birthday will be close to yours."

"That's good. Don't forget to pick up the cake at the bakery, before you leave town," Cristina reminded him.

"Oh, yes, the cake. I forgot about that," he said, as he watched as her face fell that he could forget about something so important. He grinned. "Of course not, how could I forget my beautiful girlfriend's birthday cake? I ordered it myself." He got out of the car and went to the other side to open her door. He had long ceased using the truck, whenever he had to take Cristina, anywhere. Getting down from the truck was just too cumbersome for her in this highly pregnant state. He helped her get out of the car and then, he kissed her goodbye. He watched as she waddled into the mercantile. Gosh, he loved that woman so much, he thought.

He went to the bakery, Izzie's Irresistible Baked Delights, which was run by Izzie Karev, who had moved to Huntsville, after she and Alex had got married. "Good morning, Izzie," Owen said, as he went in.

"Good morning, Owen," Izzie chirped. "It is a lovely spring day, isn't it?" Like Cristina, Izzie was also pregnant and was due in three months.

"Yes, it is," Owen agreed. "Do you have Cristina's cake ready?"

"Yes," Izzie said, as she brought out the three-layered coconut cake that was covered in yellow and white frosted roses. It was beautiful. "I worked on it last night."

"It's beautiful. I am sure Cristina will love it," he said, admiring all of the intricate work.

"So she is due, any day, now?" Izzie asked, holding her own stomach.

"Yes," Owen said. "Today is her last day of work and the baby is due, next week. She is so looking forward to having this baby out of her."

"I understand how she feels," Izzie said. "I still have three months to go and I feel the same way. By the way, I'm having a girl. What about you guys?"

"Oh, we don't know as yet. We decided to keep that a surprise. We have been calling the baby, 'he.' But that is just a generic term," Owen said. He paid for the cake and said his goodbyes. He carefully placed the cake on the passenger seat. It really was a work of art. He had chosen the cake himself. He hoped that Cristina would really love it. He got back to the farm and put the cake into the refrigerator for later. He had some work to clear up on the farm and that was going to take him all morning. He was going to pick up Cristina at lunchtime, have lunch in town and then come back and work on the dinner. He was going to have a full day. He jumped in his truck and headed out to the fields.

* * *

><p>Cristina was enjoying her last day of work. She had already spoken to the women, who would be sharing her job. The women worked elsewhere in the mercantile and they still had their jobs to do, in addition to Cristina's job. It was a good meeting and they had given her a present for the baby. It was a dozen onesies. They were so cute, she thought, as she examined each onesie.<p>

Then, it happened, without warning. There was a sharp pain and a gush of liquid coming from her nether regions. "Oh, good grief, not now!" she said. It was so an inappropriate time, she thought. Today was her birthday. She was going to have a dinner and birthday cake, later today. Now, those plans were shot. Then, she caught herself. Those were less important things; she was going to have her baby and on her birthday, no less. She dialed Jackson's extension.

"Jackson, I need some help, here. I think I am having the baby. Please come," she told him. "Oh, my God," Jackson yelled on the other end. "I will be there."

She felt another sharp pain and it made her wince. She dialed the farm's number but it went straight to voice mail. That meant that Owen was out on the farm. She groaned, as Jackson burst through her office door.

"I think you will have to take me to the hospital in Brewster," Cristina said. "I can't get on to Owen, right now."

"That's okay, that is okay," Jackson said, as he helped her up. "Let's just get you to my car. It is out front." They slowly made it out to the mercantile. His grandfather saw them and said, "Jackson, where are you all going?"

Jackson turned back and yelled across the floor. "She's having the baby, Grandpa. I have to take her to Brewster. Can you get on to Owen Hunt and tell him where we are?" Cristina yelped, once again. "Hurry, Grandpa," Jackson yelled. Not only did Jackson inform his grandfather about the impending birth, he also told every single shopper in the mercantile. The buzz had started that the Hunt baby was coming. The news spread across the mercantile floor and spilled out on to the streets of Huntsville.

"Okay," Harper said. He tried the farm's number but to no meant that Hunt was out of the house. Cell service was spotty out on the farm. He would have no choice but to go down to the farm, himself and hope he found Hunt. "Fiona," he yelled to one of the sales associates. "Man the cash register for me." He ran out to his car and headed to the Hunt farm. He was halfway there when he realized that finding Hunt on his 200-acre farm was going to be a task. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, he thought. He finally made it to the farmhouse. It didn't seem that Hunt was around. The truck Owen usually used to drive out on the farm was not there. Mr. Avery was in a quandary. Then he saw it. It was like if the gods were smiling at him. It was a CB radio set on the porch. Owen had installed it when Cristina had moved in. He wanted to make sure she could contact him, when she was home and he was out on the farm.

"Oh, thank God," he said. He picked up the radio. "Hunt, Hunt, are you out there?" He waited for a few seconds, until he heard Owen's voice. "Yeah, I am out on the farm. Who's this?"

"It's me, Harper Avery. I've been trying to find you. It's about Cristina," Harper said, so relieved that he had found Hunt.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Owen said. Harper could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"Well, yes and no. She's going to have the baby. Jackson took her to Brewster," Harper said.

"Okay, I am just coming to the house to collect her bag and then, be on my way. Thank you very much," Owen said. "Over and out."

Harper put down the radio. He was so thankful that he got on to Hunt. He got back into his truck and headed back into Huntsville, which by this time, was totally abuzz with the impending birth of the Hunt baby.

Cristina, in the meantime, had made it to the Brewster hospital. She got herself registered and her OB, Dr Withers, had come to visit her. Everyone thought Jackson was the father but he immediately said that this was not the case.

"He is just a friend," Cristina said. "A good friend." She squeezed Jackson's hand, gratefully. Jackson smiled back at her. At one time, he did have designs on Cristina but once he admitted to himself that her affections lay elsewhere, he had backed off and just became her friend.

Owen made a pit stop to the house and grabbed the bag that Cristina had already packed for her stay at the hospital. It was a mad dash to get to the Brewster hospital. When he got there, he ran to the maternity area and found out where Cristina was. He entered the room, relieved to find her there. Jackson was sitting in a chair, keeping her company.

"Cristina! I knew you shouldn't have gone to work, today," Owen said, giving her a light kiss on the mouth.

"It was okay. Jackson brought me," she said. Owen looked at Jackson, who was sitting quietly in the corner. "Thank you so much, Jackson," Owen said. There had been a lot of friction between the two men, most of it concerning Cristina but he was grateful.

"It's okay, Owen. I just did what any friend would do. Well, I better head back to the mercantile. Grandpa is holding down the fort," he said. Owen shook Jackson's hand before he left.

"I brought your overnight bag," Owen said, putting it on the bedside table. She nodded, "Ah, good, I would need the stuff after the baby is born."

"Did the doctor check you?" he said.

"Yup, he says I am coming along nicely. A little faster than he expected but that's all good," she said. "Better the baby to get out of here." She patted her stomach. "It seems like forever that this baby is in there. Well, I guess the birthday dinner is off."

"We can have it when you get out of hospital. Is there a chance that the baby will come today?" he asked. "If he does, he will have the same birthday as you. Won't that be great? We can have a double celebration every year."

"Yes, more than likely, today, my doctor has said," Cristina answered. "He is determined to share his birthday with his mama." Just then, her phone rang. It was Meredith.

"Cristina," Meredith said. "I heard it on the Huntsville grapevine that you are having the baby! Everyone is very excited and that is all that they are talking about."

Cristina groaned. She knew that this would have happened when Jackson shouted to his grandpa at the mercantile.

Meredith giggled on the other end. "You wait, Meredith. When you get pregnant, everyone will be up in your business because you are having the sheriff's baby."

"Well, I will face that when the time comes," Meredith said, still laughing. "So, how are you doing?"

"I am doing alright," Cristina said. "I have been given drugs, so I am a little happier."

"Oh, by the way, happy birthday," Meredith said. "So no birthday dinner, tonight."

"Yeah, Owen says we will have it, afterwards," Cristina said. "So I will still expect lovely presents."

"Certainly, Ms. Yang," Meredith said. "Okay, Bailey is screaming in her office. I have to go now. Keep me posted on what's happening."

"Will do, Mer," Cristina said. She hung up the phone. Owen wondered whether he should call his mom. If Meredith knew, then his mom already knew. He dialed his mother's number.

"Owen," his mom's perky voice came on the line. "I am so excited. I just heard from Mrs. Bokhee that Cristina has gone to the hospital."

"Yeah, I figured you would have heard, already," Owen said. The small town grapevine was a well-oiled machine that was working well, he thought.

"Is she alright?" his mom asked.

"Yes, she is doing fine. I will let you know how things progress," Owen said. Owen never knew that having a baby would take so long. Six hours later, Cristina was ready to push. Owen held her hand, as she pushed. He felt his hand go numb as she squeezed it so hard but he could see all of her pain, so he couldn't complain. The relief finally came when the baby's head emerged out of her, with the rest of the baby's body slipping out easily.

"It's a boy, Cristina," Dr. Withers. "A good-looking boy." The doctor cut the umbilical cord, as the baby started to cry. "Healthy pair of lungs, too." The nurse took him and wrapped him in a blanket and placed him on Cristina.

"Hey, there, baby boy," Cristina whispered to her son. Owen stroked the baby boy's cheek. He could hardly believe it. He had a son.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, after their boy was checked out and cleaned up, they brought the baby for Cristina.<p>

"So what are we going to name him?" Owen said. "I mean we talked about names but we didn't really decide on any one name. He's here now and he needs a name."

"Do you have any objections to Spencer?" Cristina asked. "I have always liked that name."

"No, that is a great name," Owen said. "What about his middle name?"

"Oh, I knew his middle name before I knew his first name," Cristina said.

"What's his middle name?" he asked, a little puzzled that she would know their baby's second name before his first.

"His middle name was going to be Owen, regardless of what was his first name," Cristina said. "He was going to carry his daddy's name. He is Spencer Owen Hunt. In any case, he doesn't look like me. He looks like you. He is his daddy's boy."

Owen held the baby's hand in his own. He marveled at how tiny his fingers were. "Hey there, Spence, I am your dad." The baby wrapped his hand around Owen's finger. It was as if he knew.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Please leave your comments. Thanks for your reviews. Only two chapters left.**


	29. Chapter 29 Double wedding

It was now three months since Spencer's birth. Cristina was feeding him his bottle for breakfast. She looked across at Owen, who was having his breakfast. Cristina and Owen had decided that maybe it would be better for Spencer, if she no longer worked at the mercantile. Instead, she would help him run the farm by handling all of the paperwork. After all, it was their family business and would be the legacy they left for their children.

"I was thinking," she said. "That maybe it might be the right time that we get married."

"What?" Owen said. He had been waiting for her to say that for a while now. His face lit up, immediately and he broke out into a huge smile.

"Yes," she said. "It would make sense. I have lost all of that baby weight, so I can actually look good in a wedding dress." She smiled at the thought. She was actually looking forward to wearing a wedding dress. "Plus our other babies, when they come, will have parents who are married." Did he just hear that right? Cristina was actually talking about other babies. He immediately got up and started running up the stairs to their bedroom. They had taken over Susannah's old room, which they had decorated to their own taste.

"Where are you going?" she asked, wondering what had got into her boyfriend.

"I have something for you," he said. "I have had it for a while." He ran into the bedroom and dug in the back of his sock drawer, until he could find the box. It had been sitting there for a while. He had got it on one of his trips to Des Moines, after Cristina had moved in to the house. With her taking such positive steps in them becoming a family, he knew that there would be a time, when she would be ready to take the next big phase in their life. He had bought the ring, in anticipation of that.

He ran back down the stairs, dropped down on one knee and opened the box, "Cristina Yang, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Where did you get this?" she said, taking the box from him and staring at the sparkler. "It's lovely."

"I got it in Des Moines," he said. "But that is not important. You didn't answer the question."

"Of course, I will marry you," she said. "I am the one who brought it up. Do you want to put it on?" He eagerly took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her left ring finger. She admired the ring on her finger, before taking his face into her hands and kissed him.

"I have to tell mom," Owen said. "I don't have to tell anyone else. She will spread it around town for me."

"Okay, I have to tell my parents, my brother and sister and Meredith," Cristina said.

Owen called his mom, first, since he had only one call to make. Susannah offered her congratulations but not before saying, "Finally. My grandson will have married parents." He totally expected that reaction from his mother.

Cristina called her parents and the rest of her family. Owen found that she sounded so animated on the phone, when talking to them. It was clear that she missed them a lot. When she hung up, Owen remarked that he was looking forward to meeting her family. She said that it will probably happen at the wedding, since they were going to come to it.

Then, she called Meredith to tell her the good news. "Meredith, guess what? We are both engaged, now."

"Wow, Owen popped the question," Meredith screamed.

"Well, I kinda told him that maybe, it was time to get married. Then he ran upstairs and brought down this beautiful, huge ring which he had been saving until I was ready. Isn't he just wonderful?" Cristina said. Owen smiled when she described him as being wonderful.

"I also have some news, too," Meredith said. "I just found out that I am six weeks pregnant."

"Oh, my God," Cristina shrieked. "That is so wonderful. Spencer is going to get a playmate."

"Well, I am going to start showing soon and after all of that scrutiny you endured during your pregnancy, I told Derek I wanted to get married in two months' time," Meredith said.

Then the idea suddenly hit Cristina. "If you are getting married, and I am getting married, why don't we have a double wedding and save our parents the stress of coming to two weddings because my parents would have come to yours and your parents would have come to mine. Between the two of us, we could have a wedding done in two months. We will just share the work," Cristina said. "If my future mother-in-law could execute a wedding in two weeks, we could do it in two months."

"That's a great idea," Meredith said. "We could save a ton of cash, especially since Derek is not as wealthy as Owen. We could share costs, especially since we both have to invite the whole town, as is normal in this place. I'll run it by Derek and you could run it by Owen."

"Yes, yes, yes," Cristina said. She hung up the phone and her face was beaming.

"Owen, Meredith and I had just had the most brilliant idea," she said. "Meredith's six weeks pregnant and she wants to get married in two months. Why don't we get married at the same time and have a double wedding?"

"Whoa, that is a whole lot of information you just passed on there? Meredith's pregnant? A double wedding?" he said. He really did not have any objections to the idea of a double wedding but he wanted Cristina to be sure. "Are you certain you want to share your wedding day with Meredith? I mean, it is your special day."

"I don't mind, Owen. She is my best friend. And we could save lots of money since we could share the cost of everything. I mean I would want my own wedding cake but we could share the cost on decorations, the tent, the flowers, the catering, the music, all of that," Cristina said. "Plus I could save my parents the added burden of having to come for two weddings. They can just come to one wedding."

"Well, I am not exactly poor, Cristina. I can afford to give you your own wedding. I can pay for all of that," Owen said.

"Yes, I know but it will be just so awesome that best friends have a double wedding, together," she said. "Please."

"Okay," he said. "I have no objections to that, as long you are happy." He would do anything to make her happy.

* * *

><p>Cristina and Meredith had an extremely enjoyable time, planning their weddings. Derek and Owen took them up to Des Moines to choose their wedding dress. Cristina chose a fitted, strapless lace dress, while Meredith had to choose a more flowing dress to make her baby bump less noticeable. Owen finally got the charcoal grey suit that he had been eyeing since he had gone suit-shopping for his mother's wedding. Derek, on the other hand, chose a black suit.<p>

The wedding itself would be held at the church in town but the reception was going to be held at a tent out at the Hunt farm. Izzie Karev would be doing two cakes for the wedding, as each bride wanted their own cake. Izzie and Alex Karev had since become parents of a baby girl that they named Arielle, who was now two months old and doing two wedding cakes, plus taking care of a baby, was a lot of work but Izzie was determined to do it. They each chose a four-tier cake but the flowers on the cake were different. On Meredith's cake, the flowers ran in one continuous line from the top to the bottom. On Cristina's cake, there were delicate flowers on each tier. Both were incredibly beautiful and the brides-to-be were very satisfied.

The day dawned bright and sunny for the wedding. Owen had stayed at the farm, while Cristina had stayed at the hotel with Meredith in town. Charlotte, who had come in for the wedding, was helping to take care of Spencer. After making sure that everything was in place at the tent for the reception, Owen, Charlotte and Spencer headed into town to the church. Charlotte and Spencer joined their mom and Dr. Webber in their pew, while Owen found himself at the front of the church, next to Derek. He saw Cristina's family and nodded, enthusiastically at them. He had just met them, the day before at the rehearsal dinner. Owen found them to be a quiet, lovely, polite family. It was no wonder that Cristina found his mother and his sister to be on the loud and boisterous side, Owen thought. Meredith's family was also there, consisting of her mom and her two younger sisters, Molly and Lexie. They looked excited to be there. Owen shook Derek's hand. Each could tell the other was nervous.

"Are you ready for this, man?" Owen asked Derek.

"As ready as I will ever be," Derek answered. "Baby coming in a couple of months. I have to be ready."

Owen glanced at Spencer, who had been transferred from the Hunts to the Yangs. He was comfortably seated in his Grandma Yang's lap and was shaking his new sterling silver baby rattle, courtesy of his mother's parents.

Then the music started. First, it was Meredith, being escorted by her dad, Thatcher. Her pregnancy had given her that extraordinarily special glow. She looked stunning. Derek smiled until his cheeks hurt.

Then, it was Cristina's turn. Owen held his breath as he saw his bride with her dad. She looked gorgeous. As he let out that breath, he never knew that he could love someone that much. Yes, he loved his mother and his sister but the love he felt for Cristina was different. He knew he loved her so much that he would die for her. When her dad handed her over her to him, he knew that he wanted to take care of this woman for the rest of his life.

After the vows were said, the rings exchanged and the kisses shared, the wedding party and their guests moved to the huge tent on the Hunt farm. The brides and grooms shared their first dance together.

"It turned out pretty great," Owen said, as they danced. "I had my reservations about this double wedding but in reality, it turned out much better than I expected."

"You had your reservations and you didn't say anything?" Cristina looked up at him, surprised.

"Well, I never thought that I would be sharing my wedding day with another couple," Owen said. "You were so excited about it. I didn't want to say anything negative. But at least, I can admit I was wrong. It has been a totally wonderful day – one which I will remember for the rest of my life."

"Hey, look at Spencer, with Izzie's baby, Arielle," Cristina said. They looked over at their baby boy, now being held by Susannah, touching Arielle on her cheek, as she slept in her mother's arms.

"It's a match made in heaven," Owen said, grinning.

"Stop trying to get my baby all fixed up, already. He has years and years to stay with me," Cristina said.

"You will have to let him go sometime, Cristina," Owen chuckled.

"Not for a long time," Cristina said, firmly.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Hunt, we will always have each other," he said. She reached up and gave him the softest of kisses, as the song ended.

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><p>Six months later, Owen, Cristina and Derek were there at the Brewster hospital, waiting for Meredith's baby to be born. When Derek emerged, he had a huge smile on his face. They had a baby boy, with lots of dark hair and blue eyes. They named him Keegan.<p>

When they visited Meredith in her room, later, Cristina stared at the boy with the full head of hair, "He has his dad's hair, Meredith. That means a lot of hair product in the future."

"I know," Meredith said. Owen snickered, while Derek looked offended. His wife and her best friend were making cracks about his hair. They stayed for a while and left when Meredith started to feel tired.

As they drove home, Owen said, "There are now so many babies in town. There's Spencer at 11 months old, Arielle at eight months old and now, Keegan. Plus Jackson married that girl, Alyssa, from Millbrook and she's pregnant, too. We are having a regular baby boom. Just interesting that all the babies' moms are from out of town."

"You guys just needed some fresh blood in this town to raise the population numbers," Cristina said. "By the way, Alyssa is not the only one pregnant."

"Who else?" Owen said, scratching his head. He hadn't heard about anybody else, lately.

"Guess," she said, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

He racked his brain and there was no one he could think of. "I give up," he said. "Who is it?"

She shook his head. "You give up too easily, Owen." She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "We are."

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave your comments. After much gnashing of teeth, I finally got this written. It has been hard, trying to write this week. One more chapter left.**


	30. Chapter 30 25 Years

**A/N: FINAL CHAPTER**

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><p>"Do you need any help?" Owen asked his 23-year-old daughter, Karina, who was busy cooking in the kitchen.<p>

"No, Dad," the brunette girl said. She had her mother's long dark hair and her father's bright blue eyes. "All of us kids have it covered. You're not supposed to be doing anything. It is your 25th wedding anniversary. Go and relax with Mom." She shooed her father, away and got back to work. She was not the only Hunt child toiling in the kitchen. Also busy chopping, mixing, stirring, baking and slicing were Rebekah, 21, Caleb, 19, Sebastian, 17 and Jade, 15. The only ones missing were their 25-year-old brother, Spencer and their five-year-old brother, Logan. All of the girls had long dark curly hair and all of the boys were blonde.

"When is Spencer getting here?" Caleb asked. Their oldest brother had got married six months ago to Arielle Karev and they lived about in their own house, about five minutes away from the main farmhouse. "He needs to help."

"Spencer and Arielle said they are coming," Rebekah answered. It was as if they heard their names as Spencer and Arielle entered the Hunt house at that very moment.

"Karina," Spencer called out. Spencer, with his blonde hair and blue eyes, looked like a young Owen.

"In the kitchen," Karina answered back.

Spencer and Arielle headed to the kitchen. "We are here. What do you want us to do?" Karina pointed them to the making of the pies.

Owen had left the kitchen, rather sheepishly, and went back to his bedroom where his wife was playing with their five-year-old son, Logan. To say Logan had been a surprise for Owen and Cristina would be an understatement. The two were happily facing their middle age with their children all growing up, when at the age of 45, Cristina visited Dr O' Malley with symptoms which she swore were due to early menopause. Dr O' Malley laughed when he told her she was pregnant. Cristina was not amused. She cried for three days and was inconsolable. One month after Cristina's 46th birthday, Logan was born. He was a beautiful blonde baby.

Cristina was now 51 and Owen was 59 and they were clearly the oldest parents of any child in Logan's kindergarten class. People sometimes asked if Logan was their grandchild and Cristina was greatly affronted by that question because she said Asian women do not look old.

"I was just thrown out of the kitchen by my children," Owen said, as he sat down on the floor, next to his wife. Cristina looked at him and laughed, "I told you that they wouldn't allow you to help."

"But I feel so useless, not doing anything," Owen said.

"Well, you can keep Logan and me company," Cristina said. "We would love that, won't we, Logan?"

The boy looked up at his daddy, "Yup, Daddy." Owen affectionately tousled the boy's hair. He smiled at his wife and couldn't believe that 25 years of marriage had passed. Even though she was now 51, her hair was still as dark and lush as ever. Her body was still as slim, Owen marveled, especially since she had seven children. Owen, himself, had greyed, especially on the sides but working on the farm had kept him fit. He now had the help of Spencer, who after graduating from UCLA, took over all of the administrative duties of the farm that Cristina used to do. Spencer had married his high school sweetheart, Arielle and he and Arielle now lived in a house on the farm that had been recently built, about a year ago.

He thought about the rest of his children. Karina had graduated from the University of Michigan, and was working in the mercantile as a buyer. She was dating Keegan, Meredith and Derek Shepherd's oldest boy.

Rebekah was entering her senior year at Boston University. She was dating Gabriel Avery, Jackson's son, who was also attending college at Boston College.

Caleb was entering his sophomore year at Vanderbilt University. He was in an on-again/off-again relationship with Sarah O' Malley, the daughter of Dr. O' Malley and his wife, Olivia.

Sebastian Hunt was a senior at Huntsville High and had lettered in both football and track. He was currently dating Melanie, Teddy and Henry Burton's daughter.

Their 15-year-old, Jade, a sophomore at Huntsville High, had recently started dating Benjamin Sloan, Mark and Callie Sloan's son.

At this rate, Owen chuckled to himself, the Hunts were going to be related to a whole bunch of people in Huntsville, if his children married their current partners.

"What are you laughing at?" Cristina asked, wondering what making her husband so amused.

"Our kids and all of the people they're dating. Before you and I met, it was just mom, Charlotte and me and we weren't related to anyone else in Huntsville. Then you came into my life and gave me all these beautiful children and because of them, we might end up being related to a whole bunch of different families in Huntsville," Owen said.

"Yes," Cristina said. "They're all growing up so fast. Soon, Sebastian will be leaving for college and then, Jade. Only Logan will be left to keep us company in our old age."

"Oh, please, haven't you noticed that our children keep coming back – Spencer came back and so did Karina," Owen said.

"That is true," Cristina laughed. "We still have all of our children with us." Cristina and Owen continued playing with Logan and his Lego set, building a castle and a fort for the next two hours.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. It was Jade. "Mom and Dad, Karina says everything is ready on the table, so if you guys are ready," she said. "Grandma and Grandpa are here, too. Also, Aunt Charlotte and her kids."

"At last," Owen said. "I am famished." He, Cristina and Logan followed Jade out of their bedroom and on to the back porch, where they were going to eat. Cristina and Owen kissed his mother. "How are you, mom?" he asked his 83-year-old mom.

"Fine, Owen. Happy 25th anniversary to you two," Susannah said. She was still as spritely as ever. Her once-blonde hair was completely white, while Dr. Webber, now 84, had lost all of his hair. They had celebrated their 25th anniversary, the year before.

"Hey, Charlotte," Owen said, kissing his sister on her cheek. Charlotte, now 56, had long given up her globe-trotting days, when she decided to adopt two orphans from Korea, whom she named Jenna and Aaron. Jenna was now 14 and Aaron was 12. Charlotte had never married, though it was rumored that she was involved with two gentlemen callers – one from Brewster and the other from Millbrook. Charlotte had never confirmed these rumors to Owen and he never asked.

"Happy Anniversary, Owen," Charlotte said. "I left your present in the living room."

"Thanks, Charlotte," Owen said. "You didn't have to get us, anything."

"Of course, I had to," Charlotte said. "Twenty five years together is something to celebrate, even though I almost derailed your relationship."

"Those times were so long ago," Owen said. "Everything worked out fine in the end, didn't it?" He looked around at his family, as they settled into their seats. He was so proud of his kids. They were all such good kids.

Owen sat at the head of the table, while Cristina sat at his right hand side. Usually, she would have sat at the other end of the table but the children insisted that she sit next to him.

"I guess we should all just dig in," Owen said. It was a hearty hour of eating and drinking for the Hunt family. They had just finished up their dessert when there was a knock on the door. Karina got up, immediately and ran to answer it. It was her beau, Keegan. She looked rather excited, when she brought him out to the patio.

"How come she got to bring Keegan?" Rebekah whispered to her brother, Caleb. "I thought this was only for family members. If we could have brought people, I would have asked Gabriel to come over."

"Yeah, me too," Caleb replied. "I would have invited Sarah, if we were on at the moment."

"You and Sarah broke up again?" Rebekah said, shaking her head. "Is this like the fourth time?"

"Yeah, yeah," Caleb said. "I give her about two weeks before she realizes the error of her ways."

Rebekah groaned.

Karina held Keegan's hand. "I know this luncheon was for family only but Keegan and I have an announcement to make."

"Is it what I think it is?" Cristina said, taking her husband's hand into his and squeezing it.

"Yes, Mom. Keegan and I have got engaged," Karina said, excitedly. She put out her left hand to show them the diamond sparkler on her hand.

"Whoa!" Jade said. "That is some ring, Keegan." Keegan grinned. "Yeah, I got it in Des Moines."

"Congratulations, Karina and Keegan," Owen said, as he got up and kissed his daughter on the cheek. He shook Keegan's hand. "Welcome to the family, son."

Cristina hugged them both. "I am so happy for you, Karina."

"Thanks, mom and dad," Karina said. All of her brothers and sisters offered their congratulations.

"So where are you going to live when you get married?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, we were hoping dad, if we could build a house near the creek on the farm. Keegan and I have always loved it there," Karina asked.

"Yes, yes," Owen said. "No problem with that." He loved having his kids nearby.

"Um," Spencer said. "Congrats, Karina and Keegan. I think that this might be the appropriate time to say it, since announcements are being made, here."

"What's up, son?" Cristina asked.

"Arielle and I have some amazing news," Spencer took his wife's hand. "We're going to have a baby!"

"Oh, my God," Cristina screamed. "Our first grandchild." She rushed and hugged her son and her daughter-in-law.

"My first great grandchild," Susannah said, wiping a tear away from her face.

"Yes, grandma," Spencer said, as he went to her and kissed her.

"Congratulations, son," Owen said, hugging and slapping his son on his back. "This day is turning out to be particularly wonderful."

"Thanks, dad," Spencer said.

Later in the night, when Cristina and Owen lay in their bed, she turned to him and said, "I can't believe all that happened, today. Those kids are something else."

"Yeah, just so fantastic," Owen concurred. He put his arm around his wife and pulled her close.

"We've got some great kids," Cristina said.

"Yeah, but it was a lot of work," Owen answered. "Remember Spencer's rebellious teenage years."

"Yes, he was a handful. Going to college, away from home, made him responsible as he was forced to take care of himself. No mom or dad to pick up after him," Cristina said. "Now, look at him. Our first baby is having his first baby."

"And Karina and Keegan getting engaged, another great thing," Owen said.

Cristina laughed. "Remember what we were saying about our kids never leaving us. It is so true. Look at Keegan and Karina building their house, near the creek."

"You know what? I don't mind if our kids and our kids' kids are always around. I love my family," Owen said.

"Yeah, me, too," Cristina said. "Twenty five years, Owen. I love you so much. I am so glad that Meredith and I broke down in the cornfields."

"It was destiny that we met, baby. I love you more than anything else," Owen replied, as he kissed his wife on her lips.

_**THE END**_

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><p><strong>AN Thank you for taking this journey with me. I hope you enjoyed the adventures of Owen and Cristina in small town Huntsville. Please leave your final comments about this story. Thank you very much.**


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